Starring Role
by aries31
Summary: Once upon a time, Kurt believed he found his Prince Charming but when he discovers Blaine to be only a manipulative and selfish hobbit, he decides it's time for him to become the star of his own life…instead of a background singer. AU Season 3.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Starring Role

**Summary:** Once upon a time, Kurt believed he found his Prince Charming but when he discovers Blaine to be only a manipulative and selfish hobbit, he decides it's time for him to become the star of his own life…instead of a background singer. AU Season 3.

**Rating:** Overall M, but warnings will be posted per chapter when needed.

**Main Ship:** Kurt x Sebastian,

**Disclaimer:** Glee nor its characters belong to me

**A/N:** To be blunt, this will be a story that is **very, very unfriendly towards Blaine**; in fact you can say towards a certain point he will become the "villain" of the piece. There might be some unfriendly moments in regards to Rachel, Mercedes, and Mr. Shue but it is necessary for those characters to grow and develop. They will be redeemed by the end.

This is AU from the events in The First Time (with the exception that Santana and Brittany are still in glee club but at the verge of leaving), though I believe that the episode was aired sometime in November, I am pushing it back to have occurred at the end of September/first week of October for plot reasons. Certain canon events from season three will be included but many won't. Also, though there will be a few OCs. Usually when I am reading fanficition, OCs annoy me so the ones I created are meant to serve a purpose and are not meant as "Mary-Sues."

Sebastian and Blaine are both seniors in this universe, and that serves as an important plot point.

This isn't a songfic by any means but the song, "Starring Role" by Marina and the Diamonds inspired me to write this…and other songs from the Electra Heart album will be used throughout the story. Some of the music in this story might not be available when season 3 actually occurred so sorry for those inaccuracies.

Sorry for the long intro!

* * *

**Part One: Who Are You to Tell Me What to Be?**

"It almost feels like a joke to play out the part  
When you are not the starring role in someone else's heart  
You know I'd rather walk alone, than play a supporting role  
If I can't get the starring role.

Sometimes I ignore you so I feel in control  
Cause really, I adore you, and I can't leave you alone  
Fed up with the fantasies, they cover what is wrong  
Come on, baby, let's just, get drunk, forget we don't get on,"

-"Starring Role," **Marina and the Diamonds**

* * *

**Chapter One: The Truth of What Lies in Your Beloved's Heart**

**TeenageDream94** is now online **(Friday, October 1, 2011: 5:23pm)**

**THESMYTHE:** Hey killer, what's shaking (besides your fine ass)?

**TeenageDream94:** Oh, Seb *blushes* I do have a boyfriend… you know….it's really not okay for you to talk to me like that.

**TeenageDream94:** But…thanks : ) 3

**THESMYTHE:** Well, if Hummel was a proper boyfriend he would be taking care of you right now instead of allowing you to leave your bed to go online all by yourself… you never know who might be out there lurking ;)

**THESMYTHE:** Are you really blushing…because that's totally hot. A major turn on in fact. Tell me, how low does your blush go…down your neck…your chest? Details please.

**THESMYTHE:** Or a picture might be nice ;)

**TeenageDream94:** You really know how to flatter a guy….it's nice to see that someone appreciates me. I mean, I might have transferred to WMHS in order to continue my relationship with Kurt…but I miss Dalton. Here it's like no one sees me…even Kurt forgets about me at times to work on his college applications…or his campaign for senior class president….

**THESMYTHE**: Hummel= asshat

**TeenageDream94:** Maybe I managed to get the lead male role in WSS, but people are now causing a fuss about my presence in Glee… and my solos, and my ideas for performances. They simply don't see (or comprehend) my talent. Though Kurt *tries* to help me…it's not enough. He can't really understand the pressures of being a lead vocalist…since he has never been one.

**THESMYTHE: **And he never will be…because he sucks balls.

**THESMYTHE:** Scratch that, I doubt the uptight little ice princess would ever do anything so naughty as that….

**THESMYTHE**: Me on the other hand, would )

**TeenageDream94**: It's not like I don't have my own interests or my own collegiate ambitions to be concerned about, but I never forget about him. I'm always taking care of him…since he stumbled into Dalton last year.

**TeenageDream94**: It's just not fair. I have needs too.

**THESMYTHE:** Do these public school cretins have eyes? You're the best (sexiest, most handsome, talented, intelligent, gifted, gorgeous…and I can go on and on about your perfection or otherwise known as the living embodiment of a "Teenage Dream".) thing to hit this shitty redneck state since….well, I doubt anything fucking awesome has been introduced to Ohio since you were born.

**TeenageDream94:** Thanks you, Seb! That's exactly what I needed to hear 3, 3….I just wish Kurt was more supportive of me.

**THESMYTHE**: What else do you expect from Casper, the oh so bitchy ghost?

**THESMYTHE**: I bet's he is really selfish in the sack…and such a girl he refuses to give you a bj. Or complains about how "gross" cum is….I, on the other hand, love it. Especially if it came from you….

**THESMYTHE:** I bet you taste delicious…;)

**THESMYTHE**: I would give you everything you wanted. Everything you need….I would do anything to make you scream.

**THESMYTHE:** That somewhat rhymes…if I composed a sonnet for you, would you allow me to get down on my knees and give you the adoration you deserve?

**TeenageDream94:** *blushes* We only had sex a few times… Maybe I'm not the most experienced in those matters but I wouldn't say that Kurt's "selfish" in the bedroom

**TeenageDream94**: I do admit that there is something missing…when we are together like that…

**THESMYTHE:** Yeah, Hummel's lack of a dick might be a problem.

**TeenageDream94:** Its more the whole I can tell he's not completely focused on me. Instead of idolization in eyes, I can almost see his thoughts about NYADA spinning in his head….it's sort of annoying.

**THESMYTHE:** Reason 452 why dollface doesn't deserve you….

**THSMYTHE:…**wait…idolization ? Don't you mean love…you know crappy floating pink hearts in Hummel's eyes?

**TeenageDream94**:….Oops!...working on a English paper here…

**THESMYTHE:…**okay…

**TeenageDream94**: And anyway….

**TeenageDream94:** I understand that Kurt has dreams… but he needs to lower his expectations. When NYADA and the other colleges reject him, his poor little heart is going to be broken. His delusions of grandeur are simply unhealthy.

**THESMYTHE:** I'm surprised that you aren't applying to NYADA or any other performance art program. With your voice, I bet you would be a shoe-in…

**TeenageDream94**:…..

**TeenageDream94:** My parents want a more "stable and reputable" career for me, though being able to perform to thousands is my dearest wish, I have to agree with their assessment. NYADA accepts only fifty students each year (25 m/25f) even for me the competition would be somewhat challenging.

**THESMYTHE:** Do you know why I call you "killer"?

**TeenageDream94:** No….

**THESMYTHE**: Because you can "kill" (blow people away) with your voice alone. Which is fucking hot, btw.

**TeenageDeam94**: Awww, Seb! 3

**THESMYTHE:** I love it when call me "Seb," though it would be better if you were moaning it.

**THESMYTHE:** And anyway if Hummel is applying, you should. I doubt your competition will be that much better than him.

**THESMYTHE:** Hummel has a voice like a female cat in heat = future "Lima Loser". That's the correct term for total failure at life around here, right?

**TeenageDream94:** Lima Loser is the popular "slang" for someone that is unable to leave and is trapped in a menial job.

**THESMYTHE**: Good. I want to make sure my insults can be properly understood by the irate savages you share a "high school" with.

**THESMYTHE:** Since Kurt's future is epically doomed, why don't you trade up to be with a real winner, huh? Someone who isn't a shrewish killjoy? Someone that will give you a better date night than a meal at Breadstix and is man enough to screw you so hard into the mattress the bed breaks?

**THESMYTHE**: I mean me of course…..

**TeenageDream94**:…..

**TeenageDream94:** You really think that you can make my bedrock?

**THESMYTHE:** 1000x more than Fred ever did for Wilma. I'm pretty sure that guy was sexually attracted to bowling balls…or Barney Rubble

**TeenageDream94:** LOL.

**TeenageDream94:** Seriously though, I'm in a committed relationship with Kurt…You see that right, Seb?

**THESMYTHE:** What does that unicorn riding, flaming piece of glitter have that I don't?

**TeenageDream94:**…

**THESMYTHE:** Cat got your tongue, Blaine? Or are you finally having a "light bulb" moment?

**TeenageDream94**: Kurt…is…important to me. And…..

**THESMYTHE**: And what?

**TeenageDream94**: And I have been working with him about the outspoken (or flaming) side of his personality. He wasn't raised like us…he's been allowed to grow free and wild for way too long. With a little bit more pruning, Kurt will be exactly what I need…

**THESMYTHE:** Umm…this feels like an awkward turtle moment or maybe I suddenly developed limited interpersonal skills but what the hell does that mean?

**TeenageDream94**: Haven't you heard that in a relationship, one partner is the gardener and the other is the "plant," that needs to be taken care of?

**THESMYTHE**: No. Sounds kind of lame to me.

**TeenageDream94**:….I'm just trying to be a good boyfriend.

**THESMYTHE**: I'm no relationship expert, but shouldn't it be more "equal" and shit? It seems that your needs are not being met due to gayface having to be handled with kid gloves…

**TeenageDream94:** We are…. equal. Kurt just… needs a lot of work.

**THESMYTHE:** Well, I can't disagree with you there…though I can understand now why you so are frustrated, tired, and in the need for some tender loving. You need to follow my number 1 rule for living life: always put your needs first.

**THESMYTHE**: And rule number 2…always reach higher for the next best thing.

**THESMYTHE:** You do have other options then to settle for old Betty White, Blaine. Plenty of guys would do anything to be with you. I think you really need to see that. I don't have much homework this weekend so how about you join me for a road trip to Columbus instead of performing another two hour skin cleansing routine with creampuff ?

**TeenageDream94**: Sebastian, I don't know if that's okay….

**THESMYTHE**: Come on, I'll be fun! No pressure at all, just think of it as two guy friends hitting the town. And you can finally see that there is an ocean of hot guys out there waiting for you….

**THESMYTHE:** One day you're going to be a pop star…you better get used to handling mass amounts of groupies now before it gets too intense….;)

**TeenageDream94:…**Alright…

**TeenageDream94**: Maybe we can hit a place with karaoke?

**THESMYTHE:** Totally. I can't wait to make sweet music with you…;)

**TeenageDream94:** 3

**TeenageDream94:** Let me figure out something to tell my parents…

**THESMYTHE:** Alright, see ya around 8:30pm, killer! ;)

**THESMYTHE **is now offline **(Friday, October 1, 2011: 6:17pm)**

* * *

_Music sets my soul on fire._

_How cliché does that sound? _

On the surface it appeared to be such an easy, unassuming, and almost innocent question, but it wasn't. It was a test. A test that he had to pass in order to be even considered as a finalist for NYADA.

And right now, Kurt was clearly failing.

The first essay question of his NYADA application was what does music mean to you?

A question that he should have immediate answer to, but in the last few hours he had been only able to come up with six words that any hack could come up with.

Kurt was ready to start banging his head against his desk in the vain hope that maybe some brilliant insight would come loose.

Usually writing was something he excelled at, and none of the other college's essays had been so challenging. Perhaps it was the pressure he was putting on himself that was constricting his thoughts to his computer screen.

Perhaps it was the fear that this was a huge mistake. He was just kidding himself to think that really had the talent to make his dreams true. Maybe NYU, Parsons, and Pace would accept him and provide great opportunities but not getting into NYADA would be a sign that he wasn't mean for Broadway.

That he wasn't someone special.

Kurt realized that wasn't exactly a mature thought that NYADA was it or nothing but he wanted to prove to Rachel, to Mr. Shue and to this whole damned cow town what he was worth.

That they made a mistake when they pushed him into the background to harmonize or allowed him to be slammed into lockers and thrown into dumpsters. More likely he was mistaken in thinking that his voice, his acting, and his expertise in fashion would allow him to become a success; someone of value.

The anxiety over his future had slowly crept into his life at the end of August, when he realized how few students NYADA actually accepted and his complete lack of awards, solo roles, and extracurricular activities that could possibly give him an edge (it didn't help that Rachel's resume was five pages and counting). Though he was trying with his bid for senior class president, Kurt doubted he would be elected or would in reality help. It seemed that despite all the blood, sweat, and tears he put into glee club he had actually nothing to show for it. As the days passed, his evenings had become filled with nightmares about being trapped in Lima for the rest of his life or stranger dreams where all his teeth fell out and when he woke up Kurt had to check to make sure he didn't need to invest in a pair of dentures.

Kurt's worries had only doubled when he met Rory and saw that he wasn't as unique as he originally thought.

The squirming, black doubts coiled around his neck began to reproduce at as accelerated rate, to the point that they were strangling him, after his disastrous audition for Tony.

It didn't help the one person he thought he could have a meaningful conversation about his concerns, who could ease his stress was a) always cutting him off to discuss something related to them, b) was "busy" or c) simply shrugged and suggested, "maybe you should have been more aggressive about getting solos, or looked into other avenues where you could perform like I did at Six Flags."

Apparently, Blaine wasn't the right person to confess his insecurities to…which left Kurt alone with his traitorous, self-defeating thoughts.

_Blaine._

Kurt knew he should feel over enjoyed that he finally had a boyfriend. Especially a boyfriend that was handsome, a suave gentleman, talented, and intelligent but things haven't been right between them since Blaine transferred.

There was just this dense, palpable wall of distance between them that Kurt was unable to understand or find a way to climb over.

The presence of Sebastian in their lives provided some of the tension between them. It wasn't right to blame all their problems on the new Warbler, though it would be easy and somewhat justified in Kurt's perspective, but it wasn't the truth. He still hadn't felt comfortable with Blaine after **that night**, even though he did truly forgive Blaine for what happened.

And Blaine seemed to be avoiding him unless he wanted to gush about his solos or….he wanted to schedule a time to have sex when his parents weren't home. Otherwise, it didn't feel like they were even a couple.

Yesterday was a prime example. Mr. Shue had announced they were going to continue the tradition of last year's duet competition for a free meal at Breadstix. Immediately, Blaine jumped to Rachel's side and started giggling about doing "Just Give Me a Reason" together. He didn't even bother to give Kurt a backwards look. Even though in the past, Kurt had told Blaine about how hurtful it was to be basically excluded and forced to compete in a duet competition by himself.

And he thought Rachel would remember, but having her musical soul mate instead of her boyfriend as her partner seemed to be more important.

Kurt had seen the same hurt reflected in Finn's eyes that had be splattered all over his own face. They had looked at each for moment before Finn just flashed him a sheepish grin and dropped his gaze to look at his shoelaces. Eventually, Puck slapped Finn on the back and offered to do a total bromance themed number.

Kurt still didn't have a partner, and it would probably remain that way since Mercedes had reached her boiling point with everyone in glee (Kurt had been proud of her impressive diva storm off but was hurt by the fact that she lumped him in with the people who "held her back.") The only other person who noticed his ….abandonment (that had to be the best word for it) was Brittany who had taken to actually glare at Blaine when the ex-Warbler wasn't looking. She preferred to refer to Kurt as a "dolphin" or a "unicorn" but earlier today Kurt had noticed Brittany had started to call Blaine a "squid."

Kurt didn't understand exactly how Brittany's mind worked. Others quickly labeled Brittany a member of the "short bus squad," and once upon a time Kurt agreed with him, but he found the girl had layers. As he got to know her after, a part of his apology for using her in his pathetic phase of "butch Kurt," Kurt thought maybe the problem was that Brittany was unable to express her thoughts in a "normal" way

With the slight edge to her tone, when she said Blaine's new nickname, he could tell it was a definite downgrade from "dolphin." Whatever it truly meant was beyond his Brittany translating skills, but Santana seemed to be able to understand it, and was purposely avoiding Blaine.

Though Santana had never warmed up Blaine like everyone else in the first place.

Mentally, Kurt had already forgiven Blaine for the slight. Sometimes Blaine could be just oblivious to other people's feelings. It wasn't his fault, and eventually he would notice his neglect.

_Maybe. _

But…Kurt was curious to why such a small thing could bother Brittany of all people. It brought up the question: _what does she see that I can't?_

Especially since Blaine had continued his avoidance by canceling their plans to curl up on the couch and watch _Once_ again for some family dinner that came out of nowhere.

Kurt sighed. He clicked out of his word document without bothering to save the six insignificant words that were unable to answer the simple question.

_Maybe…maybe if I can just get some solid sleep I can figure out how to fix my life._

Kurt climbed up the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. He poured enough milk for two into a pot before turning on the stove. Lazily he stirred it for a few minutes before it reached the perfect temperature. With care Kurt filled two mugs. After dropping one off with Finn (who was in the middle of some video game where he was killing zombies or mutated killer clowns from space but acknowledged him with a loud, "Thanks, dude," which made Kurt sigh. It wasn't worth it to correct Finn any more unless he was in a really crapptastic mood) Kurt grabbed a few cinnamon graham crackers from the kitchen before heading back to his bedroom. As he took a sip of his warm milk, Kurt heard a soft beep coming from his phone.

Carefully, Kurt put his mug down on a coaster. He expected a possible message from Blaine (maybe an apology?) but instead he found an unknown number sending him a text. Kurt slightly bit his lower lip. He was still wary of unknown or blocked numbers due to the few homophobic mouth breathers who continued to call their house or the garage, especially since his father had decided to run for Congress. No one had ever called his cellphone before, so maybe it was harmless.

Kurt opened it and instantly regretted it. For the image attached wasn't harmless, more like a meat cleaver being thrown at his heart.

There was a line of text but Kurt ignored it as his eyes grew owlishly at the image attached that insulted his retinas. Sebastian Smythe's green eyes shining bright with mischief (and perhaps with alcohol) stared back at him. It wasn't those eyes that almost made Kurt throw up the sliver of milk and his earlier dinner of grilled chicken and a small Greek salad, but Sebastian's naked torso spooning against Blaine's back. While Sebastian was sporting a wide grin that showed off his large teeth, Blaine (who was also naked from the waist up) appeared be blissfully asleep with his hair slightly undone and his cheeks rosy (definitely from the alcohol).

Kurt then scrolled up to read the message.

_You lost gayface._

The three little words slammed over and over again inside Kurt's heart, tenderizing the muscle and imprinting the flesh with an edge of sadistic violence, as his eyes scanned over the line of text accompanying the damning photo for the fifth time.

Kurt let his iPhone fall to the floor of his bedroom, not particularly caring at the moment if the screen cracked. Nothing really mattered. For once again, it seemed that if there was a greater power out there in the universe, it needed to hammer home the point that Kurt Elizabeth Hummel wasn't enough.

_Never enough._

Underneath the armor of perfectly crafted outfits and the cutting tongue he used to deploy at his enemies, Kurt knew the truth of the matter that he was insecure. In general, he didn't really care what the general population of Lima or the grand state of Ohio thought of him. They could all go to metaphorical hell. However, there were a few exceptions to that rule; people he would do anything for to receive their acceptance but would never get.

His father was one. Sure, Kurt knew that his dad loved him, but there was always that lingering doubt that lay dormant in their interactions that his own father didn't like the person Kurt had become. That if his dad could, he would turn him in for a better model.

Finn was another. Kurt let blame fall on his shoulders when it came to that relationship. He had been the idiot to try to purse a straight boy. Things were getting better between them, and Finn was trying, but there always going to be a barrier between them.

Mercedes was his best gal, someone that he once considered a soul sister, but since his father's heart attack and her reaction of imposing her spiritual benefits, instead of accepting his opinion on the matter and just being there for him, they had slowly drifted apart.

In all, it made Kurt feel defective.

Sure, he had flaws. He could be bossy, judgmental, vain, a cutthroat with manipulative tendencies (though he personally thought he was improving in that area), and a gossip. No one's an angel, but it always seemed Kurt just being Kurt was_ wrong _to everyone he loved.

Like he was some broken little toy that people wanted to fix. The last time he felt accepted by someone, who he felt free to be his real self around, was his mother. And she was dead. Maybe if they had been 'allowed' to interact more, Sam could have accepted him but that time had passed since he moved to Kentucky.

And Blaine….as his boyfriend was supposed to love and accept the jagged, raw parts of his soul along with the good.

But instead he moved on to someone new. Someone better.

Sebastian Smythe, the smirky meerkat who didn't believe in relationships.

Kurt doubted the two would become a couple; however, the end result was the same, he would be alone. Blaine would never settle for silly, romantic Kurt when there were more interesting fish in the sea.

At that, tears started to flow from his cheeks. Kurt didn't bother to wipe them away. He gripped onto the blond wood of his desk; his knuckles turned white as he attempted to stem the flood that wanted to escape from his tear ducts. Water still cascaded, and heavy, wet sobs tore from his throat despite his attempts of repression.

Until there was nothing left, and Kurt felt numb and hollow.

No outrage or the blooming of depression that he knew so well from last year's escapades with David.

Just emptiness.

Sitting down besides his desk, Kurt continued to ponder his strange reaction to this event. When he imagined Sebastian stealing Blaine away, he pictured slashes of fury ripping away the internal linings of his organs instead of this heavy disappointment that coiled in his heart. Or that he would immediately be binging on cheesecake. The stereotypical reactions to heartbreak and betrayal had left him.

_What the hell is wrong with me…this a justified situation for me to indulge in soap opera hysterics or scheming for revenge….but I don't possess the intent or drive to do anything ._

_Again, what's my problem? Blaine was (is?) the love of my life and he cheated on me._

_And if I'm not feeling anything does that make me a psychopath? Do I really want another lifetime subscription to a psychological issue?_

_Maybe Blaine, really wasn't anything special?_

_Shit. That can't be right._

_He was supposed to be the love of my life, shouldn't there be more than this dull echo in my chest? More tears? More agony? More rage….though if I saw the damned meerkat right now I would give him a piece of my mind, and maybe a right upper cut to the jaw for good measure. _

_Maybe it's because I already predicted that this was going to happen. From the first time I saw Blaine and Sebastian together, two weeks ago at the Lima Bean, I knew by the way their eyes locked there was this spark between them. Something far more physical and real then what happened between Blaine and I on the staircase at Dalton. _

_Even though I fought so hard for this relationship…I knew it was never going to last._

A internal voice, mature and soft, and so similar to his mother's firmly replied_: why did you have to fight for the relationship in the first place? If love truly anchored your connection to this boy, then wouldn't you have felt secure and cherished?_

_Did he ever make you feel like you mattered?_

Swiftly, without even thinking, Kurt said out loud, "No." Immediately he put a hand around his mouth, as a pathetic attempt of shoving back the truth to the dark recesses of his mind, so he didn't have to deal with it.

However, the truth always demands to be set free no matter how high the cost.

_If I'm honest with myself, the Klaine ship has been in the middle of a turbulent tropical storm for awhile now, I just didn't want to see it. It's so much easier to sweep our issues under the rug instead of addressing them. Sebastian's presence only exposed some of our flaws to the surface._

_Like the fact that Blaine has no problem having a friendship with someone who gave him attention and verbally attacked me or refused to respect our relationship? _

_Or that when it comes to alcohol, Blaine might have a problem. I'm quite sure he sneaked more than one beer __**that night **__and with enough of that it in his system…he transforms from a dapper Jekyll to a violent, sexually aggressive Hyde. There is a part of me that is actually afraid of what Blaine could do to me under the right circumstances. In the three times we have sex; it has been awkward because I don't feel comfortable. I have to be in complete control, because I have nightmares where Blaine pinned me down and just took what he wanted from me._

_I don't… completely trust him._

_Huh, the guy I turned to, to save me from my tormentor, actually makes me feel less safe. And unlike David who was dealing with some serious issues of self-hatred and went to get psychological help, Blaine only has alcohol to use as an excuse. Or he just blames me. _

_And the worst of all, is that I went along with it. I apologized for refusing him when he was drunk. I went to the stupid bar in the first place, to prove that I could keep up for the likes of Sebastian, and show that I was good (sexy) enough for Blaine, _

_I tried being someone that I'm not to keep a man. _

_Which isn't me at all, _

_If I saw Tina trying to change her usual gothic wardrobe to please Mike when it make made her miserable or she reverted to her old wallflower self in order to give Mike more attention-I would direct her attention to the fact that she was in a unhealthy relationship in the nicest way possible and I might shove her in the direction of Ms. Pillsbury's office. Also, though I consider myself to be nonviolent, I might find a way to castrate Mike in that situation._

_There is no reason for me to do that in reality because Mike is a sweetheart even though he doesn't appreciate my signature dance move._

_However, the point of this is that…I've become someone that needs approval, that needs a guy in his life, even though if that particular guy makes me miserable._

_What the fuck happened to me?_

Rubbing his temples for a few minutes, Kurt sighed as he grabbed a post-it note pad from his desk along with a pen before flopping down on his bed.

Kurt tapped the end of the pen against his lips. Slowly but surely, he wrote out the issues of being in a relationship with Blaine Anderson.

1) I'm insecure around him, I second guess everything I say and do (due to his initial friend-zoning and the whole Jeremiah event)

2) The gel is a little bit much.

3) We don't confront our issues, or try to talk about what bothers us (ex: drinking)

4) I've always been chasing after a guy, maybe I just hold onto him because I'm afraid of being alone again.

5) I feel like he's always trying to fix me, turn me into this person that I'm not (ex: try to fit in...)

6) We schedule make-out sessions…..shouldn't we want to make out with each other whenever we want like everyone else?

7) He doesn't touch me in public…unless it's due to a song

8) He crowds my space, and takes over everything (my friends, my interests, my family…)

9) He can get jealous when someone is paying me any attention, and I don't believe it's because he fears someone is going to take me away

10) I go along with whatever he says even though it goes against my instincts (going after David, nearly outing the guy on the stairwell)

11) My guts have been telling me since the incident at Scandals, that this isn't right or a safe partnership.

12) And maybe I don't have the whole story, but Blaine's an ASSHOLE for cheating on me with Mr. Syphilis. He can't say what happened tonight was family friendly.

13) And he's arrogant

14) And condescending

15) And I need to get my backbone back

Reading over the list a few more times, Kurt hid it in one of his desk drawers away from the prying eyes of his dad or Carole. He picked his phone off the floor, and was relieved to see the screen wasn't actually cracked, A frown took over Kurt's lips as he noticed the flurry of texts he received from the same unfamiliar number that had sent the photo and that had to belong to Sebastian. He ignored them and just looked at the background photo of his phone. He and Blaine were standing in their Dalton uniforms simply holding hands.

Nothing special or significant, but the boy he once was looked so innocent and carefree in comparison to what he now felt.

"Maybe," Kurt said softly, " back then I didn't need a mentor or boyfriend to save me, but you were what I clung to. I now see that I need to save myself for a change or I'm going to lose myself in every future relationship I fall into."

_Even though I have no real clue how to do that, but I'm going to try focusing on me for awhile._

**To Blaine (2:34am):** I'm not going to attack you. Nor I'm going to have this conversation with you through texts, but let's meet up on Sunday, 2:30pm at the Lima Bean and we can hash our break up talk then . Take care of yourself.

Kurt wanted to add, "I hope you remembered to use a condom in your drunken haze, because you never know what parasite or virus Seb is packing," out of spite.

He was the wronged party here. He could afford to be snarky. However, Kurt wanted to move on from this relationship with as much grace as he could muster so he could focus on what made himself attach like a barnacle to the underside of a ship to someone who wasn't even worth throwing a diva throwing fit over.

It might kill him, but he was going to be the mature one about this whole disaster.

* * *

In Westerville, Sebastian exhaled sharply as he rolled away from the comatose boy sprawled out on his bed. "Shit," he grumbled lowly to himself. Wrinkling his nose at the overly pungent smell of raspberry hair gel and alcohol wafting in the air, Sebastian grabbed a discarded pillow and shoved it between himself and Blaine.

He needed a barrier or something to throw if Blaine decided to wake up and hump his leg like a horny dog…again.

Tonight seriously had not been his night.

On some level, Sebastian had already begun to suspect that maybe Blaine wasn't as wonderful as the other Warblers had painted him to be. He really should have paid more attention to their texting and online sessions….where Blaine only bitched and whined. Before he could deal with it, because providing an empathic ear and thickly laying out the compliments usually lead to getting laid.

At least 90% of the time, in Sebastian's experience.

So he sucked it up, and just waited for the moment where Blaine would finally agree to have some real one on one time (without the prudish, pale chaperone holding them back from having real fun ) and mellow out. And Sebastian could finally experience the "sex god" of Dalton.

Boy, was he wrong on so many things.

Blaine was far from being a sex god, in fact he was more like a sex noob who kept getting killed on level one.

Even though it was a technically a date, Blaine had continued his trademark of bitching and whining. First, he whined about how uncultured the McKinley masses were, then he continued to bitch about the lack of support from the male glee club members. Blaine continued by complaining about some guy named Finn who was the current lead singer, who refused to share the limelight or acknowledge his talent, and some girl with the name of a car who had dropped out because she felt like was not being appreciated.

Sebastian knew exactly how she felt, because he was a total catch and Blaine had been barely paying him any attention. In fact, Blaine had been flirtier towards every single guy in the bar who looked his way. It had taken most of Sebastian's self-control to not drop his charming façade and show his true colors and snarl at any other gay male that came near his prey.

The only positive point of the conversation had been about some chick named Rachel, who Blaine had declared as "utterly adorable ."

However, to sum up their "night out on the town,": whine, bitch, whine, bitch, and here's some more whining.

That's all Blaine seemed to be programmed to do, when he wasn't drinking like a fish after dominating the karaoke machine for an hour straight (Blaine didn't allow him to join in for a duet) . Sure, before Blaine became completely drunk, Sebastian has fucked him in the bathroom stall He still managed to collect his prize, even though….Blaine refused to give him a blowjob in return…and

…it was honestly the worst sex he had…but no one needed to know that.

Or the fact that Blaine had turned creepily handsy and aggressive when he was seriously wasted. To the point he made several other customers (and Sebastian included) feel very uncomfortable and he had been forced to cut the evening short and drag Blaine to his house to sleep it off.

Overall, it was a pretty shitty night. The only thing he truly gained from the experience was Blaine spilling a few details about the situation in New Directions, which Sebastian could twist to the Warblers' advantage.

Sebastian glanced over once more at his sleeping companion. _Reminder to self no matter how desperate or drunk, never tap that again. __**Ever. **__Hummel's a freaking saint for putting up with short stack. I mean if I had to witness another condescending eye roll, hear another patronizing chortle, or patiently agree with one of his rants about solos, I was going to snap._

_And speaking of Hummel…._

_According to the fourth rule in Sebastian Mason Smythe's guidebook for living the sweet life; it's perfectly acceptable to drag someone down to your level of misery, for the fun of it. _

_Technically, that picture of me snuggling up to Blaine should have been enough to break Hummel's icy façade into hundreds of little fractures. Now that I see Blaine's just a spoiled brat I don't understand why Hummel is so possessive of the little shit. Is the princess really that desperate for a…boyfriend that he just takes it? Or is it something else? Does he really love Blaine despite all of his flaws? Is Blaine that good of an actor (which I highly doubt) that he is able to convince little Kurtsie otherwise?_

_Honestly, even by my own standards, some of the things spewing from Blaine's mouth about his boyfriend and supposed soul mate were harsh._

_"Kurt really can't compete with me. It's for his own benefit that he remains in the background…he's kinda of cute when he is dancing back there… supporting me"_

_"He's not like you, Seb….he's boring but safe. Though Kurt can be a bitch, I know by the way he looks at me he would do anything for me…and I like having that sort of control."_

_And there was that strange pruning comment earlier I haven't forgotten about, but whatever. Their fucked up relationship is none of my business. I just wish that I had recorded our conversation so I can replay it for Hummel's ears and watch him fall apart. _

_Apparently, Hummel has to see something "good" in Blaine to keep around. Pathetic, but I don't mind exploiting his weakness to get under his skin._

_Me threatening to take away his "sweetheart" is like threatening a cat with a bath; claws come out, posturing starts, hisses and growls escape from his throat, his eyes usually change to this strange shade of deep jade (turquoise? Shit, I don't know, his stupid eyes are always changing colors) before they narrow, and it's rather….._

_His display is nothing but stupid. The only reason I goad him is because it's entertaining. If Hummel didn't react to me….I would probably leave him alone. I just hope he never figures it out because there would go my fun. _

_And there is so little of that around here. _

Turning over onto his stomach, Sebastian settled into a comfortable position in the mattress. He retrieved his phone from his bedside table (a pile of books stacked up like toy blocks). Scrolling down through his contacts, Sebastian smirked when he tapped the contact labeled "gayface." He had "borrowed" Blaine's phone earlier in the evening in order to broadcast his conquest to the other member of the gay wonder twin team.

However, he expected Hummel to have responded back to his earlier message by now.

_I guess I need to prod him a little bit further. _

His smirk expanded as he tapped out, "_Is your jaw still on the ground, Hummel? I expected a few cries of denial and insistences that I designed some nefarious plot to take your sweet boyfriend's virtue…I guess you realized you can't compete with me, stud of the year_."

Sebastian added a winking face, for his own amusement before sending the text message out. As he waited for the expected catty response, Sebastian found himself absorbed in reading the latest FML postings. Internally laughing at the misfortune of others, and trying to ignore the heavy snores coming from his bedmate, Sebastian forget about the time.

Until he realized, nearly an hour later, there had been no chime of an incoming text message.

Sebastian's eyebrows slightly furrowed at the realization. He just had to push harder, that's all.

**To gayface (1:34am): **This is the beginning, you know. Now that I have Blaine, next step on my list is stamping Nude Erections into the dust and taking that Nationals trophy. That will put a crimp in your dreams, won't it?

Twenty minutes later, Sebastian glared at his phone. _Really mature, giving me the silent treatment, Hummel…_

_It takes more than that to get to me to stop._

**To gayface (1:57am):** I'm the new alpha gay around here, so you better get used to bending over and taking it, Kurtsie.

**To gayface (2:02am):** Metaphorical screwing of your life …of course. I would NEVER touch you, under any circumstances

**To gayface (2:05am):** I bet you would like it if I ever did, because….I'm hot and….no one else is going to look at a homely, sexless mutation like yourself that dresses like an confused alien on an acid trip.

**To gayface:** Though ….I think that your DSL were meant to be surrounding my cock, and you would make such pretty noises if I ever got the chance to yank on your overdone, fluffy hair. And your elf ears, especially when they turn red, are fucking adorable…I just want to nibble them.

Sebastian didn't send that last text. He considered it for a few seconds before deleting the rough draft. It had be the four beers in his system responsible for that load of crap. He was just getting too tired to think of the right insults that would bait Hummel enough to fire some pathetic barb back that was meant to be destructive to his ego.

Like anything Hummel could say to him would be harmful; kitten had claws but they weren't sharp.

Instead, he wrote and did the following:

**To gayface (2:10 am):** you're not an alien but a gender confused elf who escaped from Narnia. Don't worry, I'll throw you back.

**To gayface (2:11 am):** Loser, loser, double loser, as if, get the picture, duh!

**To gayface (2:12am):** Picture…that's a good idea. How about I send you one of my dick so you can measure up?

**To gayface (2:15am):** Image attached.

**To gayface (2:16am):** Impressive, right, Kurtsie? No need to send me one of yours…I can tell by Blaine's needy moans, you haven't been enough to satisfy him.

**To gayface (2:19am):** I'm bored….so goodnight princess. I hope you have a fabulous weekend….and I'll see you at Lima Bean sometime real soon ;)

Yawning, Sebastian put his cell back on his makeshift bedside table. He snatched the blue/green plaid comforter from Blaine's shoulders. With a well-placed kick to the back of Blaine's shins, the shorter boy unconsciously moved to the edge of the bed, leaving the dead center for Sebastian's taking. Burying his nose into only pillow that managed to escape from the goop attached to Blaine's head, Sebastian thoughts centered on the annoying habits of the boy he decided was not worth his attention as he slowly fell asleep.

* * *

Thanks for reading! And if you enjoyed it please leave feedback…this is my first Glee story so I appreciate it.

Chapter Two: The Smashing of Rose Colored Glasses…or otherwise known as Coyote Ugly


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Starring Role

**Summary:** Once upon a time, Kurt believed he found his Prince Charming but when he discovers Blaine to be only a manipulative and selfish hobbit, he decides it's time for him to become the star of his own life…instead of a background singer. AU Season 3.

**Rating:** Overall M, but warnings will be posted per chapter when needed.

**Main Ship:** Kurt x Sebastian,

**Disclaimer:** Glee nor its characters belong to me

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Smashing of Rose Colored Glasses…or otherwise known as Coyote Ugly**

In which we see the softer side of Sebastian, the Power Rangers made a cameo appearance, and Kurt gets an interesting idea.

**Warnings:** Sebastian being Sebastian, and Blaine being Blaine?

* * *

"You're too proud to say that you made a mistake

You're a coward to the end.

I don't wanna admit

But we're not gonna fit

No, I'm not the type you like

Why don't we just pretend?

Lies, don't wanna know, don't wanna know, oh

I can't let you go, can't let you go, oh

I just want it to be perfect

To believe it's all been worth the fight

Lies, don't wanna know, don't want know, oh

You only touch me

In the dark

Only if we're drinking."

"Lies,"-** Marina and the Diamonds**

* * *

A wet, cold nose nudged against Sebastian's cheek. He only mumbled out an incoherent reply in return and twisted away from the force invading the peaceful twilight state between being asleep and awake. A state Sebastian was particularly interested in maintaining for at least two or three more hours. Besides the external intrusion, he could feel something internal stir that he wanted to be silenced. A slight burning sensation pressing against the back of his brain that commanded he needed to be up, awake and active because there was something he needed to attend to despite the early hour.

It was a feeling that he could ignore; Sebastian Smythe didn't do responsibility.

Except for feeding the cat.

Anyway, Sebastian was pretty sure he managed to do that yesterday, before the drudgery of going to Dalton took over his morning.

Thick, silky fur caressed the side of his neck, each individual hair insisting—no demanding-his undivided attention. Sebastian attempted to focus instead on the dreams that occurred last night and the strange, new main attraction of his REM sleep; he had been chasing a boy in the backstage of a theater, and every time he was close enough to grab a pale, delicate wrist the boy managed to leap into the shadows. Safe from Sebastian, until he cried out a "Marco!" and the game of tag was forced to continue. In the end, Sebastian never saw his target's face, only glimpses of their flesh, and a hint of their peaches and crème complexion.

_It felt so important that I found him, and held him in my arms. Whatever. It had to be the beer. I drunk cheap domestic last night. Never going to do that again, unless I want to develop hives due to their inferiority._

_There was something else I'm not supposed to do again…_

A firm but solid head-butt to the base of his chin shattered Sebastian's semi-conscious thoughts. Slowly opening his eyes, Sebastian found himself staring into the amber orbs of his cat, Milo, who was crouched on his chest with a vibrant chartreuse colored mouse in his jaws.

"_Seriously_," Sebastian muttered in fake exasperation, as he reached out and scratched behind Milo's ears, "you did not just wake me up to play?"

Milo dropped the saliva covered mouse by Sebastian's neck, and gave him what Sebastian had to interpret as the feline equivalent of a "bitch please," face. In Milo's book, "playing" was serious shit. With a yawn, followed by a disgusted grunt when Sebastian picked up the slimy toy, he flung the mouse across the room, into the hallway. Milo let out a happy trill; his eyes watched the arch of the toy in flight, before he gave chase to the faux-rodent.

A faint, genuine smile, instead of his usual smirk, crossed Sebastian's lips. Cats were animals that he could respect; top predators that did whatever the hell they wanted, everyone else's wishes be damned. The smile quickly transformed into a frown as a hand curved around his bicep. Sebastian automatically flinched back from the harmless, tentative touch. Sitting up in his queen-sized bed, Sebastian turned to look at his companion.

_I really fucked Blaine Anderson._

_Go me, and then screw me because even though my memories are alcohol soaked, I remember him being annoying and a lousy lay._

"What's going on?" Blaine asked as he attempted to rub sleep from the corners of his eyes, "Why- why was there a wildcat?"

Sebastian had to admit even being hung over and confused, Blaine still oozed a certain schoolboy charm. Blaine's curly black hair was now wild and free from the gallons of product he used. Sebastian couldn't help but be tempted by the finally unbound locks. It wasn't his fault that he had a thing-a slight kink—about being able card his fingers through his partner's hair or yank on it if the random of the evening was interested in more rougher physical advances.

Due to the hair gel and Blaine's complaints about the issue, Sebastian left it alone but now his fingers were itching to nest in the unruly mane. Added to more attractive hair, the light from the bay window gave Blaine's olive skin a slight golden glow. And the ex-warbler's dark chocolate eyes looked so innocent and adorably confused….

He could see the possible appeal of going for a round of sloppy seconds before kicking Blaine out of his house. Well, to be more honest, his dick was twitching already in anticipation. But even though Blaine's questions were not annoying, the slight, always present whine in the back of his voice, abraded against Sebastian's nerves like gravel.

Getting up and stretching the kinks from his lower back, Sebastian padded over to his dresser. He said over his shoulder as he grabbed a pair of clean black boxers and Dalton sweatpants from the dresser's drawers, "Technically, Milo's a F1 generation savannah cat… so he's only part wildcat."

"Oh," Blaine said, "It's just that he's rather big…."

"Yeah," Sebastian removed the boxers he slept in and replaced them with a new pair, not particularly caring if Blaine watched or not.

"Seb, did we…did we have sex last night?"

Sebastian sighed, and pulled up his sweatpants, before turning to face Blaine, who hadn't moved an inch since he left the bed, "I believe the fact you are laying in my bed is evidence enough that we fucked."

"Oh."

"Oh indeed," Sebastian drawled as he walked over to Blaine's side of the bed, his head tilted at an angle to loom over the shorter teen, "And now it's time to teach you some one night stand etiquette. I'm not your husband to be, or life partner to be or whatever you want call it…."

"I'm not here to whip up organic crepes and offer you breakfast in bed with fresh cut roses. Or give you aspirin for your hangover. That's not on my agenda."

Blaine opened his mouth and then he closed it. His brown eyes grew wide, he tucked his chin down towards his chest, and his whole body language screamed "kicked puppy" with the way he shrank away from Sebastian's gaze.

Sebastian just raised an eyebrow.

_Well, maybe this is how you get out of things with Kurtsie. Flash a pair of big puppy eyes and everything is forgiven. I'm not so…naïve._

Leaning in so their foreheads were almost touching, Sebastian smirked, " This is the cue for you to leave, stage right. I have things to do, that don't include you." He ambled over to his closet and nearly ripped off an old red and blue stripped polo from a hanger. In the corner of his eye, Sebastian saw Blaine was finally starting to get the picture by moving out of bed and attempting to look for those ridiculous high flood pants he wore last night.

Sebastian pulled the shirt over his head, and was greeted with Milo twisting between his legs. Milo's appearance drew a glare from Blaine which just increased the smirk on Sebastian's face. Milo was intelligent enough to figure out what human beings disliked his presence.

And do something to potentially increase their dislike.

Blaine still sans pants, found the all-important bowtie, after stumbling over the books scattered all over the floor, "I think you are lying…Seb," Blaine started, as he kneeled on the wooden floor to grab his short sleeved, red dress shirt from under the bed.

"Really?" Sebastian crossed his arms, and rolled his eyes.

Blaine slowly put on his shirt, as if his naked chest was some treasure for Sebastian to see (he had seen better), "You didn't spend all that time chasing me for us to be just a one night stand. We have," Blaine energetically pointed to Sebastian and then himself, "_chemistry_."

Wiggling those triangular shaped, bushy eyebrows in what Blaine obviously thought was an alluring fashion, made Sebastian snort ,"Come on, where else are you going to find someone like _me_?"

"What about," it was almost painful to bring up since he didn't care about Kurt's feelings in this whole mess unless the princess was knocked down a couple pegs, and even his stupid surname (a line of overly cute figurines, really?) left a streak of distaste on his tongue but Sebastian wanted, no needed, Blaine to leave him alone. He didn't tolerate clingy one-night stands very well, "Kewpie? You're going to string him along?"

"Some people need more love than others," Blaine shrugged.

"Translation: you're an attention whore."

Blaine noticed his pants hanging on the back of Sebastian's desk chair, as he ambled over he commented in a tight voice, "I'm not a _whore_. Kurt is deficient in certain areas and until I make the appropriate corrections, I can share my valuable time with you in order to make sure my needs are meant."

Sebastian stalked over to Blaine's side with Milo trailing at his heels,. He jammed a finger into Blaine's chest, "Why do you think I want a piece of your "precious time"? I already got what I wanted and I need another challenge."

"Perhaps," Sebastian stroked his chin, in the manner of Saturday morning cartoon villains, "ice princess will do. I mean, it will take more than a few compliments and wine coolers to get into _his_ skinny jeans. More like a crowbar or a wrench…"

'What are you insinuating?" Blaine furrowed his eyebrows, and a dark cast took over his features, giving the shorter teen a foreboding aura that spelled out, "don't push me unless you want to be struck down by lightening."

Sebastian pushed anyway.

"I'm just making a few pointed observations, _Anderson_, and maybe you can reach a rational conclusion."

"You won't go after Kurt….Kurt isn't like _me_."

_That's what your brain latched on, not the fact that I'm basically calling you easy? Sheesh, Blaine's brain must be like Swiss cheese, anything that isn't positively connected to him has been scooped up and left a gaping hole. _

"You mean attractive?"

Blaine had the decency to at least look sheepish," He's isn't… _sexy_."

The words, "And you are?" tumbled from Sebastian's lips in a sarcastic tone. For a moment Blaine said nothing, as he finished getting dressed and attempted to push Milo away from investigating his exposed ankles. When he looked up again, Sebastian immediately noticed the fire truck red cheeks, and the glint of hurt along with fury in Blaine's eyes. From the information gathering stage of his interest towards Blaine, Sebastian had become aware of the fact Blaine had been the founder of the underground fight club at Dalton.

Sebastian didn't mind fighting; sometimes physical force was necessary but his style of combat was geared towards manipulation, distraction, mind games, and other covert tactics. Mind always ended up beating fists, based on his own vast personal experience on the matter. However, right now Blaine looked he was ready to lodge a few fists into the nearest person's gut and Sebastian preferred to not have bruises on his body, especially if he decided to hook up with another random at Scandals tonight.

Sebastian took a few steps back from the shorter teen, while Blaine blurted out, "I know you want me, Seb and I know you want be with me again."

"Let me be frank with you, since I'm the only one in the tri-county area who isn't brainwashed into being a member of "Blaine Anderson is our king" cult," Sebastian sneered, "I wanted to fuck you because you were hot, end of story. I might have been interested in more hookups but since I found out you're bland in the sack and my "hot ass" goggles have been removed, I see that you're just an immature megalomaniac. And what can I say? My ego needs a lot of breathing space."

"So, shue fly, shue!" Sebastian made a "sweeping" gesture with his hands, "or I'll tell gayface all about your philandering ways."

_Though I'm pretty sure I already did that last night; Blaine doesn't need to know about the wonderful surprise until it blows up in his face later. Maybe Hummel is not on the same level of hotness as Blaine but…underneath Blaine's schoolboy façade there is nothing much of value. Honestly, I did gayface a favor by sleeping with Blaine, because now he can move onto someone…better. _

_Not better. More his level, more committed, more accepting of his girly clothes wearing ways…someone that isn't like Blaine or me. I'm not sure that guy exists in Lima but if I take Hummel out to Scandals a few times, and show him some tricks, maybe…_

_Wait, what the hell, am I thinking? _

_It would best to leave creampuff alone, even if I don't get the enjoyment of watching him become flustered in my presence. _

Blaine said in an emotionless voice as he remained frozen in place, "Kurt would _never _leave _me_. No matter what _you_ say."

_What?_

_I might not know dollface that well, but I highly doubt he will just tolerate his boyfriend sleeping around. Hummel still believes in fairytale romance and all that stupid soul mate shit, so if his Prince Charming betrayed him, I would bet good money that Kurtsie would throw him to the curb._

_Clearly, Blaine doesn't understand Kurtsie very well. _

"You're delusional," Sebastian spat.

"Kurt wouldn't believe you anyway," Blaine rationalized, "If he did…he would understand that you seduced me. It wasn't my fault that I got drunk and you took _advantage_ of me."

" Come on, even…Hummel isn't enough of a wet noodle to accept that line of crazy town logic….and I didn't do that! You only had one drink, and you were all," Sebastian parroted in a higher voice, " Take me, Seb. I want to do something fun and exciting! Something Kurt would never do!"

"It doesn't matter. Everyone knows that you are a _whore_. No matter what you say or do I'm still the victim," Blaine folded his arms around his chest with such a smug smile on his lips, that it screamed, "I won, and now, it's time for you to bow down like a lowly worm to my greatness."

Sebastian just wanted to punch it off Blaine's face. He didn't lose, especially not to guys like Blaine who were new to being emotionally manipulative. Even if meant giving up the ace up his sleeve.

"What if I told you I have proof and I already told power puff, hmm?"

Blaine's eyes narrowed to slits, "What proof?"

Sebastian grabbed his phone from the pile of books near his bed and displayed the photo of him spooning a sleeping Blaine, "A picture says a thousand words. Right, Blandy?"

"You should have remembered that I love to torture the shit out of gayface. If you wanted to make sure that your vanilla sex escapades didn't get back to _darling dearest_, you should chosen someone more discreet about their conquests…aka not me."

Blaine gritted his teeth and took a few steps forward to snatch the iPhone from Sebastian's grasp (not like that would much good, in Sebastian's opinion) despite the fact it was so easy to keep it out of Blaine's reach. When Blaine started to breach Sebastian's personal bubble, Milo stood between them, hissing at Blaine until he backed off.

"It doesn't matter," Blaine sighed as he ran his hands through his hair, "I can still fix this. Kurt will believe me, and everything will be fine."

"Keep telling yourself that, Anderson. I'm sure that the voices in your head will eventually agree with you," Sebastian jeered as he slide his phone back into his pocket before sitting back down on his bed.

"Shut up, Smythe," Blaine nearly growled, " You're just a backstabbing, **slut.** You don't know anything about relationships."

"Excuse me, but what hell did you just call my brother?" a low, female voice called out from the doorway, with undertones of murderous intent.

" I just said the truth. That's what he is. A craven **whore**," Blaine barked back, " and I think it's time for me to go home and fix the mess he caused."

Blaine attempted storm off but the petite girl in the doorway, clad in a faded Aerosmith tour t-shirt and a pair of boxers that had to come from an ex-boyfriend with her hair in a rather impressive rat's nest, grabbed him by the collar and refused to let him move.

"_Evangeline_," Sebastian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "let the hobbit go. He's not worth it."

She let out a disgusted snort, but Evangeline still removed her hands from Blaine' shirt. Blaine returned the favor by shoving her into the near wall and bolting away.

"**_Rude_**," Evangeline shouted after Blaine, as she rubbed her arm," You should be so glad that I'm not Dr. Lecter because I would totally make a mincemeat pie out of your ass."

"I highly doubt he would be very tasty," Sebastian snorted as he fully laid down on his bed.

Taking the snarky comment as an invitation, Evangeline shot a slight grin over at Sebastian

before waltzing in and flopping down on her brother's bed. Evangeline nudged his calf with her foot, as she attempted to undo a knot in her brown hair, "First of all, why did you bring _that _home with you? Usually, you only bring the "special" lays back to your lair."

"He was technically special. It took me two weeks to get him interested in me," Sebastian flipped over on his stomach.

She let out a low whistle.

"Maybe it was sign that I should have left him and his boyfriend alone."

"How many times have I told you, don't chase after guys with boyfriends?," Evangeline groaned, "Really, I let you get away with murder while dad's away and you…..just ugh. It's a simple rule of common sense and you can't follow it."

"Life's no fun if you follow the rules," Sebastian smirked.

"Not following the rules will get you into shit loads of trouble. Boys who are stepping out with you come with baggage which can only lead to a disaster," Evangeline grabbed Sebastian's right hand and planted a playful slap to his palm, while Sebastian flashed her a faux pout, "Now, that's your negative reinforcement for the day."

"So how is Peewee Herman getting home? I didn't see another car in our driveway," Evangeline remarked, twirling her fingers in her hair and baiting Milo by dangling a foot over the edge of the bed, and pulling it back before he could bite her.

"We went out…." Sebastian began and then he stopped himself, and found playing with the few loose threads of his comforter more interesting instead of continuing the line of their conversation.

Evangeline arched an eyebrow, "You went out drinking?"

"Yes," Sebastian mumbled.

"And then you proceeded to drive home, after said drinking, even though I warned you if I ever caught you doing something so damned stupid as driving drunk…I would leave you psychologically scarred?" Evangeline's voice started to transform, from her normal tones to a something higher and strained that almost mocked the princess's falsetto. A warning bell of his sister's wrath; it was a trait that she shared with their mother, especially when she was forced to play the role of "older responsible " sibling and lecture him.

Hearing her like this, even though Sebastian knew he had paced himself last night and was capable of safely driving home, made him almost feel…_guilty_. Then again, Evangeline had always been the chink in his armor. The only person who he wanted to impress, to make proud since their mother passed. His father didn't know how to talk to him; in the earlier days after his mother died, Sebastian had discarded him into the useless and annoying pile. Only Evangeline knew exactly what to say to comfort him, to make him feel something else besides numb.

It also didn't help (or seem fair) that Evangeline was basically a mini-me version of their mom with her lighter skin, hazel eyes, wavy hair, and petite figure.

And with just one look she could dismantle him into a lost, little boy. A feeling that Sebastian hated above all else. Not being in control, or having the upper hand in a situation just left him feeling noxious.

"Yes," Sebastian's gulped as he attempted to pull away from the furious scowl plastered on Evangeline's lips. Of course, Evangeline didn't let him off the hook so easily and firmly tugged on his shirt to get his attention.

"You should have called me, Bastian. I know you think you can handle your "liquor" like a champ, but I thought so too…and I ended up in rehab. I understand you need to be around guys like you….but clubs and bars are not your only options," Evangeline's voice reached a fever pitch and Sebastian heard Milo scamper away…and desperately wanted to join him.

"I was fine. Anderson was the one who was out of control and I thought he needed to sleep it off," Sebastian tried to argue but Evangeline cut him off.

"Don't care. And don't say you were protecting me from big, bad alcohol. You and your ill-tempered friend could have waited outside of the bar for me and we could have picked up your car in the morning," She shook her head slightly, "I thought I could trust you, baby brother but that's it. Except for school or that coffee shop you like so much you are staying at home."

Sebastian sighed as he looked in her hazel eyes, based on the determined gaze evident, he knew he was screwed (and not in a good way).

_There goes my sex life. Honestly, it's not fair that I'm on her radar….and I bet she will tell father. Not like he can do much from Washington. D.C right now, but when he gets back this is going to turn into such a not so fun conversation about my drinking._

_I can already predict what he's going to say._

_"Sebastian, you don't live in Paris anymore. This is Ohio for Pete's sake. There are serious consquences for underage drinking here."_

_"And do you think it's fair to Evangeline that you shove drinking into her face? After everything she has been through? Maybe she has been sober for over a year but her problem is never going away. You need to stop being so selfish, Sebastian and support your sister."_

_Even in my own family, I'm the one who is painted as a villain. Despite the fact that I never brought alcohol into this house, and the reason I made Blaine stay in my bedroom was because I could tell that he smelled like booze. I didn't want Evangeline near that, especially since Blaine's dark side apparently comes out to play when he's drunk and I wasn't sure what he would do without direct supervision. _

"Again, should I call his parents to pick him up because if I have to drive him home I might leave him in a ditch somewhere…bleeding?" Evangeline's more mellowed voice broke through Sebastian's thoughts.

"No, he has his phone…he can figure it out," Sebastian snapped.

"You mean that phone right there?" Evangeline pointed at the iPhone nestled between the two pillows on the bed.

"Oh," Sebastian said, "Well, Sterling lives six blocks away. Anderson can seek assistance there. Again, not my problem."

"You're really losing points for Human of the Year," Evangeline added, "and with me. Your misanthropic attitude really needs to take a hike."

"It's just that I sort of expected better from short stack," Sebastian admitted, "and now that I have the douchebag's number, I don't have much sympathy for him," and from there Sebastian decided (though it went against his instincts) to spill all the details of the evening and that morning to prevent more of his privileges from being taken away. While in the background, Milo crept back, bringing them mice to throw along with copious amounts of head-butts ( "I'm beginning to wonder if Milo is _off_. I mean he only plays with the very colorful mice, the silver glitter ball, and I swear I heard him chirp along to "Starstruck" the other day…." Evangeline said at one point. "Are you saying my cat is stereotypically gay?" Sebastian deadpanned "Maybe.").

At the end of his explanation, Evangeline grabbed Blaine's phone, " I'm sorry to hear about your horrible, no good night…but anyway you can hack this piece of shit so I see a picture of this Kurt Hummel guy?"

"Why?" Sebastian questioned in a rather confused tone, as he scratched Milo under his chin and was rewarded with a robust purr. He barely mentioned Hummel in his long drawn out monologue; he made sure of it.

"Oh, I don't know… by the way your voice started to get raspier and how your eye color deepened to this forest green whenever he came up in your little story… he has to have my stamp of approval before-" Evangeline looked up to see both of Sebastian's eyebrows raised in befuddlement, "Oh my god, you don't know," she laughed weakly.

"Know what?"

"You're such an idiot, Bastian," Evangeline muttered under her breath, before raising her voice to a normal level, "Just forget it." She turned on Blaine's iPhone and attempted to punch in a few generic passwords.

Sebastian watched her start to get frustrated with the device as her passwords continued to get rejected. With a sigh as a he threw a violet colored mouse for Milo to chase, Sebastian suggested, "Just try Katy Perry or teenage dream."

"Teenage dream," continued to be the key to Blaine's metaphorical heart.

Sebastian wiggled over to Evangeline's side, and peeked over her shoulder as they went through Blaine's phone. The ex-Warbler had himself singing with the rest of the Warblers swaying behind him as his background for his phone. And when Evangeline continued to flip through Blaine's photos, a certain pattern emerged. Everything was all about Blaine. There was documentation of Blaine's performances and every stupid act (like kissing some drunk, mousy haired girl was a huge accomplishment). Sebastian had always theorized that Blaine and Kurt were all about cutesy photo-ops, to showcase their undying love and all the other crap that made him sick. However, the lack of Hummel in the digital portfolio of Blaine's life left Sebastian feeling cold and rather disgusted with Blaine for a reason he couldn't define.

Finally, at the back of Blaine's saved photos there was evidence that Blaine had a boyfriend. Unlike the other photos that had be taken by someone that was not Blaine this one could have been snapped by him. The side-view shot of Hummel working under the hood of a car, wearing a pair of old, grey overalls, and streaks of grease down his swanlike neck disturbed Sebastian. It didn't help matters, that were was a spark in Kurt's (currently) blue eyes, and the tip of his pink tongue was sticking out the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on the engine at hand.

_Princess doesn't do manly things like work on cars. He sits inside and reads those vapid, fashion rags instead. Gayface doesn't get dirty and his appearance doesn't give me certain ideas. Kurt Hummel isn't hot. _

_Let's say it again, Kurt Hummel isn't hot._

_Kurt Hummel isn't…_

_Fuck, this isn't working. I want to pin ( at least this version of) him against the hood of that piece of shit mustang…and…_

"Total. Babe. Alert," Evangeline pronounced each word slowly and then wolf-whistled.

_"What do you know?,"_ Sebastian hissed," You like _girls_…and Hummel is almost a girl."

"I like guys too," she added softly.

"_He's not my type_," Sebastian said sharply as he snatched the phone out of Evangeline's hands and nearly threw it onto the floor.

Evangeline sat up, Indian style, with her arms crossed, and her eyes narrowed, "_Really?_ Because last week, I know I saw you bring home a less muscular twink, who was wearing a kilt, over a pair of leggings…and you had him bent over the couch. Thanks for ruining that piece of furniture for me, by the way."

"What were you doing, Peeping Tom?"

"I wanted a glass of milk, and I did attempt to announce my presence but you kept at it like bunny- rabbits."

"Oh." Sebastian vaguely recalled hearing someone shout, _"Oh my fucking god, my eyes, my poor eyes…"_ when the event occurred. However, he had ignored it at the time. Kevin (or was it Kory?) had been so incredible (even if he wasn't his usual type with his coiffed hair and girly clothes ) with his demanding attitude, his sensitive/responsive body, and how vocal he became (another big turn on in Sebastian's book) under his touch.

"Well," Evangeline rolled her eyes and then stood up, " I'm off to make you a nutritious breakfast…" and pressed a kiss to Sebastian's cheek which he immediately wiped away.

Sebastian internally groaned. Evangeline's "nutritious" breakfasts usually consisted of burned toast, undercooked eggs, and fruit (usually there was nothing wrong there, but Sebastian considered himself a carnivore and carnivores required bacon or sausage not fruit). He was better off attempting to make oatmeal himself. Again, Sebastian cursed his father for getting rid of their old French chef. At least they had the maid, which was something he could be thankful for, especially since she sometimes would take pity on him and make him pancakes or waffles.

"Please don't burn the kitchen down, and it might be a good idea for you to brush your teeth since your mouth smells like rotten eggs." Evangeline returned his sentiment by flashing him the middle finger before completely leaving his bedroom.

Sebastian took the chance to grab his iMac laptop from his leather briefcase, and attached Blaine's iPhone. It only took a few minutes to download Hummel's photo. No, he wasn't keeping it for possible jacking off purposes; that was beneath him. Creampuff was totally beneath his level. There had to be a way in the future he could possibly use it against gayface for blackmail. As Sebastian looked over Blaine's phone one last time, he noticed the latest text message was from a certain Kurt Hummel.

Despite the fact that it was a further invasion of Blaine's privacy, Sebastian opened it and read the following:

**From Kurt (2:34am):** I'm not going to attack you. Nor I'm going to have this conversation with you through texts, but let's meet up on Sunday, 2:30pm at the Lima Bean and we can hash our break up talk then . Take care of yourself.

Sebastian smirked.

_Hmmm. I have the chance to watch a live soap opera. I should show up and bring popcorn._

* * *

The call came later then Kurt expected. He realized from the second after he sent Blaine that text, the ex-warbler wouldn't respect his wishes to wait until Sunday to discuss their problems.

Listening wasn't exactly how Blaine _rolled,_ especially when it came to what Kurt needed.

Still, when Kurt woke up around nine, he anticipated his cell phone to be blown up with missed calls and unread texts. Thankfully, (for a little while at least) he was given a reprieve. Instead of mulling over his decision to end his relationship with Blaine, Kurt kept his hands busy. His father and Carole were out campaigning and canvassing Lima; the special election was being held on Friday, and there was so much they still needed to do to prepare. Finn had taken point on calling potential voters and reminding them to head to the polls, while Kurt was adding the finishing touches to his father's posters. Maybe they didn't have the budget to air hate-ads, like Sue Sylvester, every commercial break but they could still have classy and informational campaign materials.

After a few hours, Kurt switched off to work on making buttons for his own campaign. Though he was pretty sure the buttons in question would end up in the dumpster where they would be breaking his fall when the winning jock threw him in, to make it clear that someone of Kurt's social status shouldn't attempt to rise above his station ( if Brittany won, perhaps that wouldn't happen and if Rachel beat him, then Kurt would feel worse than that one time he had been thrown into a dumpster full of rotten fish sticks).

_Just try to get through the week, one day at a time. It's not worth it to stress out where you have no control about how the situation goes. You can just try to do your best…even though it's probably not going to be good enough, yet again._

That's when Kurt's cell phone rang.

Kurt immediately recognized the displayed phone number as the Anderson's landline. He was thankful Blaine that hadn't called from his cell phone, otherwise "Teenage Dream" would be blasting and Finn would know exactly who he was trying to avoid. Still, Kurt circled around his iPhone and looked at it as if it could jump up and bite him. Finn, who was now in the middle of watching _1,000 Ways to Die_, shot him a quizzical look (or maybe Finn was suffering from gas pains; Kurt couldn't tell). At the tenth ring, Kurt picked up the phone and dashed down the stairs into his bedroom and far away from Finn's ears.

"Listen, Blaine," Kurt started, "like I told you in my text, I want to wait until Sunday, so I can be levelheaded enough to talk to you in person about-"

Blaine cut him off and started to gush, "Hey there, Mr. Adorable! I was thinking that since we haven't had spent enough time together lately you can come over and we can have a Disney marathon. I have only seen _Tangled_ once before and…"

A tiny part of Kurt's heart leaped at the chance to spend time with Blaine, especially for normal couple time activities. But it was only one small part, and it was easily squashed.

Kurt gnawed on his bottom lip, and was barely listening to Blaine's story about finding his newest bowtie. The way Blaine was acting, it was as if…

_He doesn't think I know about what he did last night. I know I sent that text last night; Blaine's either ignoring it or…hasn't read it. Either way, it's clear that Blaine doesn't believe I deserve to know that he cheated on me (if I was in theory, not already in the loop about his cheating), or we as a couple should pretend he didn't make such a serious error in judgment._

_How is it that my arch enemy, believes I deserve to know that my boyfriend cheated on me? The meerkat told me the truth as a way to hurt me, sure, but he still showed me more respect than what Blaine's doing right now._

Kurt took a deep breath, and interrupted Blaine's descriptive narrative about his newest idea for sectionals, "I _know_, Blaine."

"You know _what_, Kurt?" on the surface, Blaine still maintained a sickly sweet tone to his words but Kurt picked up on the hard edge in Blaine's voice. Obviously, Blaine thought his acting was good enough to pass scrutiny or he considered Kurt to be a fool, who wasn't observant of his own boyfriend's habits and tics.

_Fail, Blaine Anderson, fail._

"You slept with Sebastian last night, and I'm beyond—"

"**_That_**," Blaine spat, "was a simple misunderstanding."

Kurt started to briskly pace back and forth with his phone still pressed against his ear, "A simple _misunderstanding_, Blaine? I have seen a photo of you and him together in bed, and the message it implies is crystal clear. I do want to hear your side of the story, and have this conversation in person so we can talk about _this… _like civilized adults… like I said in my earlier text."

" Text…I don't have my phone," Kurt made out a low mumble, " I think I left it at Sebastian's."

_That explains one thing, but still Blaine had no problem lying to me when he thought I was unaware of the situation. I mean, it makes me wonder what other important things he's lied to me about. Is this the first time he has cheated on me or is this just the first time I caught him in the act?_

"Well, the gist of my message was just to meet at the Lima Bean so we can break up in a fashion that can allow each of us move on—"

"Oh,_ Kurt_," Blaine chortled, "you can't be serious about your _little_ idea about us breaking up? That's simply ridiculous. I made a teeny, tiny mistake, but it wouldn't have happened if I wasn't drinking, and _Sebastian_ didn't_ use_ my intoxication, along with the fact I don't feel appreciated at WMHS, to get me into bed. You know it meant _nothing_ to me. If you want, we can talk to Ms. Pillsbury on Monday, but please don't throw away our _perfect_ relationship over such a little thing…"

Kurt was torn between the desire to break out in hysterical laughter or slap himself in the face for being such a blind fool because he could see Blaine's true nature now in bold, capital letters. Blaine had presented himself as a Prince Charming, and once upon a time, Kurt had fallen for it hook, line and sinker. Maybe before his epiphany, he would have continued to dance to Blaine's tune, despite the pain in his heart. But now, Kurt could see the way Blaine manipulated his words to cast the blame on anything else besides himself, his patronizing attitude, and the fact that it was clear in Blaine's perspective Kurt wasn't worth enough respect to be told the truth.

_If Blaine thinks his little speech is enough to keep me by his side, he is mistaken. He just hammered the final nail into the coffin of our relationship_.

"A perfect relationship, please don't make me laugh," Kurt's voice dropped to a guttural snarl, "maybe it is for you but I'm tired of being a second-class citizen that is required to beg for scraps of affection at your feet. And I'm tired of you refusing to take responsibility for your actions. You know for someone that is so big on "courage," you have a tendency to become a coward when faced with your own "mistakes." I wanted to at least be friends, but it's obvious that even if we maintained a friendship, it would be toxic to me. So I highly suggest you stay away from me for now on."

"Clearly,_ you _are emotionally distraught. We should talk about this when you can think more logically…"

"No. I'm in a sane frame of mind, Blaine. Though she isn't in my list of top ten female vocal artists, Taylor Swift's song, " We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," expresses my permanent thoughts on this matter exactly."

"Don't be_ silly_, Kurt. You need _me_."

"I need you like I need a …**LOBOTOMY!**" Kurt screamed into his phone before hanging up on Blaine.

At that moment, Finn charged down the basement stairs, swinging a baseball bat, "Are you okay, Kurt? Is there a burglar? A vase upstairs broke from your high pitched screaming and…" Finn came to the foot of the stairs, still tightly clutching the bat in his hands.

Kurt just raised a perfectly maintained eyebrow, before slightly shaking his head._ Oh the joys of living with Finn_. " I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine," Kurt paused, but then decided that he should start ripping off the band-aid of his terminated relationship with Blaine.

"I just broke up with Blaine."

"Okay," Finn went up two steps and then the dawning of Kurt's words hit him. He managed to spin around without falling down to look at Kurt, "Wait, what happened, dude?"

Kurt rubbed his temples and waited for the throbbing vein that made its appearance known when the word, "dude," fell from Finn's lips before answering, " I…." It would be easy to vilify Blaine but the moment he said that Blaine cheated on him, pitying looks would be thrown in his direction. He would become the pathetic loser who was unable hold the attention of the only other out gay male in school.

Kurt could take many things. He couldn't handle losing the little respect he gained with his peers or their pity. Blaine's cheating would have to be his own personal burden to bear.

"…I just realized that some aspects of our relationship weren't equal and I got fed up with it."

_That's not a complete lie._

"_Okay_," Finn scratched his head, "I guess I can understand that…it's just your two were like the perfect couple in glee club. You don't cheat on each other like everyone else…you're mature and devoted to each other."

_If only you knew the irony of that statement._

Kurt took a few steps towards Finn, " From the outside we looked solid, but on the inside we were shaky. Blaine could make me feel like crap for just being me…"

"Yeah, sometimes I feel that way when Rachel doesn't listen to what I have to say on some stuff," Finn trailed off, "but she accepts me more than any other girl has so Rachel's awesome in that way."

Kurt didn't want to understand the dynamics of Finchel, but in the terms of Finn logic, it made sense so Kurt gave Finn a slight smile. However, it did not escape Kurt's notice the lingering of a tight frown remained on Finn's lips.

"So, do you want ice cream-"

Kurt crossed his arms, "I'm not a girl, Finn."

"What about cheesecake from Breadstix?"

_In theory, that does sound good…a slice or two won't kill me or my skinny jeans, "_Maybe later…"

"Well, besides the whole I thought there was a burglar attacking you situation, I wanted to tell you about the awesome movie that is going to be playing in like ten minutes…"

The 'awesome" movie ended up being _The Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. _

Kurt still found himself in thrall with it, twenty minutes later. It mostly held his attention due to the hypnotically hideous 90's clothing, the horrible acting, and the challenge of trying to apply logic to the plot.

" I'm beginning to believe that is can only be understood by children under the age of eight or people who are completely stoned."

"The normal villains unearthed this egg which contained Ivan Ooze," Finn explained between gobbling kettle corn, "who back in the day basically controlled the universe but was smacked down by the Power Ranger's leader, and now is back to take over Earth. The only way he can do that is dig out these weapons and he uses his ooze to control the parents of Angel Grove to be his workers. While the Power Rangers have to go after the Great Power to defeat him…"

Kurt stared at him.

_Again, Finn logic astounds me._

"What? It makes total sense…"

Kurt sighed and leaned against Finn's side, and pretended he didn't see Finn automatically flinch away from his touch or how awkwardly Finn patted his back.

* * *

On Sunday, around 2:10pm, Kurt found himself at the Lima Bean.

Originally, it was his plan to meet here with Blaine, but since yesterday's discussion tabled said plan, it would be the perfect hideaway. Since this morning, Blaine had dropped by the house four times already demanding to see him. Finn had graciously volunteered to take door duty and keep Burt unaware of Kurt's breakup with Blaine.

Kurt, was going to tell his father, the whole truth, but now wasn't exactly the _right_ time. After the election, and after Kurt reburied the family shotgun in a less obvious location, he would tell. Sure, Blaine being physically harmed didn't bother Kurt, but his ex-boyfriend wasn't worth his father going to prison for murder.

In an attempt to get away from the tension that filled the house every time the doorbell rang, Kurt left. He considered going to Mercedes' but she was still upset with everyone from glee club and even if she would welcome him, Kurt know she would demand to know everything about what was going on with him and Blaine. And Tina was on a date with Mike (sans Mike's mother…it was probationary development) and Kurt didn't want to mess it up for her.

There really wasn't anyone else he felt comfortable hiding out with so Kurt ended up at the Lima Bean, drinking his usual nonfat grande mocha. He had his laptop out, and while one finger traced the ring of his coffee cup, Kurt gazed at his relationship status on Facebook.

_Kurt Hummel is in a relationship with Blaine Anderson._

_Not anymore._

Worrying the flesh of his bottom lip between his bottom teeth, Kurt officially changed his relationship status.

_Kurt Hummel is single._

_Yay. Go me. Now all the gorgeous men of the world will be beating down on my door._

_Not going to happen in this reality._

Kurt sighed deeply. Taking a few sips of his coffee, Kurt changed his regular status to, "I put on the crown of clowns and melt slowly to the ground." He wasted a few minutes checking out the statuses of his friends (the only one of note was Rachel claiming she watched _Funny Girl _for the 50th time. Kurt believed it, but he pitied the poor, abused DVD.).

Knowing he couldn't put off the rest of his homework, Kurt pulled out his copy of the play,_ A Doll's House_, from his satchel. The rough draft of the paper was due on Thursday, for his AP English class, so Kurt started to type up a basic outline, along with the quotations he might use to support his thesis. After ten minutes passed, Kurt became immersed fully in his work that he didn't notice a tall figure, with a wide cheshire cat's grin, strolling towards him.

Until a hand clasped his shoulder, Kurt squeaked out a, "jeepers creepers," and nearly spilled coffee over his phone. However, when he actually eyed the face above him, Kurt almost did it again.

_This isn't my weekend, is it? _

_Sebastian Smythe, why do you have to literally haunt this place? I know for a fact there are several Starbucks closer to Dalton then the Lima Bean, which is more than an hour away._

_Why do you have insist on appearing in my life like some demented jack in the box to pop out and demonstrate that you are so superior to me? Because I get it, I really do._

Kurt glared up at Sebastian, until the Dalton student removed his hand from his shoulder. Without even bothering to ask, Sebastian put down his caramel macchiato (with copious amounts of whipped cream and drizzles of caramel syrup, another reason for Kurt to hate Smythe, for being able to eat something like that and still look the way he did not seem fair) and a biscotti on the round table.

Rocking back on his heels with both of his hands in the pockets of ironed khakis, Sebastian remained standing, "Aren't you going to say hello to me, gayface? Or has being in the public school system for so long rendered you incapable of normal human speech and you're only able to communicate using grunts or finger paint?"

"Referring to me with uncreative nicknames is not exactly a sign of much sophistication on your part," Kurt internally cursed himself for responding back to Sebastian's bait. He had promised himself that for now on, he should just ignore the meerkat bastard. Kurt had managed to delete all the texts Sebastian sent him, Friday night without looking at the (probably) cruel comments.

Sebastian misinterpreted Kurt's response as an invitation to sit down at the table. The taller teen leaned back in his chair, and started to loudly slurp on his coffee, with his green eyes completely focused on Kurt, as if it to say, "I'm doing nothing wrong, wanna make a big deal about it and look like a jackass in the process?"

Kurt rubbed his temples, his fingers making small circles on his forehead as he tried to think about how Nora's husband in, _A Doll's House_, infantilized her in their marriage. However, it became harder to focus as Sebastian's noises grew louder. Kurt could feel his stance transform to that of a cat seeing another predator in their territory; if he had a tail, Kurt would bet it would be three times its normal size.

_"Can you just stop that?"_ Kurt hissed as he glanced up from his laptop's screen, "and take a permanent vacation to Siberia so I don't have to look at your meerkat face or your popped collars."

"Nah," Sebastian said. He did stop drinking his coffee to take a few bites out of his biscotti, "because I would miss the show. Though Blandy is already fifteen minutes late…"

"What are you talking about? Blaine-"

Sebastian pulled out a cell phone from his pocket, and Kurt immediately recognized the electric teal cover. _Blaine's phone._

"I wanted to watch the two of you duke it out," Sebastian added with one of his trademark smirks, "well, in your case, princess, catfight."

Kurt snapped the lid of his laptop shut; he leaned over the table, taking over some of Sebastian's space, and waved a finger in his foe's face, "You think this whole thing, my relationship burning to the ground, is _fun_? _Don't you?"_ Kurt whispered hotly, "Well, guess what _Smythe_, I'm not here for your damned entertainment. Maybe I owe you for showing me what a prick Blaine is, but that doesn't excuse your behavior in my book. And if you want Blaine you can have him…since he attempted to lie to me about what you two did, me and him are through."

A flood of emotions flashed across Sebastian's eyes, far too quickly for Kurt to grasp a single one. Sebastian stood up, almost towering over Kurt, and his lips were curved up in a wicked grin, "Good."

"Shut-wait, what?" Kurt's eyes grew owlish at the lack of an insult being thrown at him.

"You deserve better than that megalomaniac, _Kurtsie_," Sebastian whispered into his ear, "And FYI, Bowtie was totally the worst man in bed …I ever had. I misjudged his worth, and I wonder what else I misjudged, hmm?"

As Sebastian sauntered away (leaving Blaine's phone and his trash at the table for Kurt to clean up, of course) he moved in close enough to trail his fingers through Kurt's hair. Kurt jumped up and shrieked, "Holy Jupiter shit," loud enough to attract the attention of several other patrons, "what gives you the right—"

"Cool your jets, dollface," Sebastian snickered, "you should consider it a compliment," and then out of all the possible outcomes that Kurt could have predicted when it came to Sebastian Smythe, did not prepare him for the moment when Sebastian plainly winked at him before leaving the Lima Bean. Kurt felt a burning heat strike out red tendrils up his neck and his cheekbones. He stood there, rooted to the spot for a few minutes before he realized people were staring at him as if he was about to become a human torch. Dashing to the bathroom, Kurt attempted to splash water on his face to remove the crimson stain from his skin.

"That did not just happen," Kurt muttered to himself. He wiped his hands on a paper towel, "Sebastian doesn't see me that _way_. I'm just gayface to him. It had to be hallucination, right?"

_He is just playing a new, twisted game or he is really bored now that he got what he wanted. It's a different tactic of making my life as miserable as possible, that's all. And I refuse to be tied up in another spider's web._

"Right," Kurt nodded, _oh Gaga, why I'm now talking to myself?_

_It has to be the breakup. I just imagined the whole thing, After a few days, I'll be right as rain._

Kurt didn't exactly believe that optimistic thought for a second, but it was better than the alternative. He stepped out of the men's restroom, after he attempted to do something with the hairstyle Sebastian effectively destroyed, As he walked over to his table, a hot pink flyer on the community bulletin board caught his attention. Normally, Kurt ignored these advertisements, but the main image of an elflike figure flying through the air as the ship below him burned, made it difficult to tune out. Below the picture was the simple announcement that Lima Community Theatre was putting on a production of _The Tempest_, and auditions would be held on October 5th and October 6th from 3:00 pm to 5:00pm, along with the general contact information of the director/manager Mr. Reed Barnes.

Apparently, all were welcomed to audition.

_The Tempest, I've heard of it, but I don't think I've read it. It's not exactly supposed to be a great romance, comedy, or tragedy but a mix of all three._

_What am I thinking? Rachel said that she had been auditioning for roles at the LCT since she was twelve years old and she has never gotten a role. I'm talented but if someone like Rachel who persists after something she wants like a dog with a bone, I doubt they'll take me seriously or give me a chance….to shine._

Kurt started to walk away, but his feet carried him back. He stared at the flyer, with his eyebrows slightly furrowed in concentration. With trembling hands, Kurt removed the piece of paper from the bulletin board and neatly folded it into a square before putting it into his pocket.

There was probably no point in auditioning, but Kurt could dream.

And there was still time if Kurt decided to change his mind.

* * *

**A/N**

"I put on the crown of clowns and melt slowly to the ground,"-lyric from "Hermit The Frog"-Marina and the Diamonds.

"Holy Jupiter shit…" reference to _Todd versus the Book of Pure Evil._

First, I want to see that I'm blown away by the response I've received. You don't know happy you'll have made me ! : )

Anyway, as I said in feedback to some of my reviewers, I'm going to try to update at least once a week but my chapters tend to be on the long side and sometimes it might not always happen.

And I hope you don't mind the creation of Milo (the idea of a very ridiculously expensive cat as a pet seems to fit Sebastian and yes, the crappy profile picture is supposed be a savannah cat) and Evangeline (someone has to be responsible for Sebastian…and show that Sebastian is not just a robot who lives on sex, but a human being).

Also, the story **After the Wedding** by lovejoybliss inspired me to combine Glee and Shakespeare together. It's a great Kadam fanficition and I suggest you check it out.

There are many different interpretations of _The Tempest_ and the majority of William Shakespeare's works. I'm not an expert on the Bard, but I have read it several times and done some research so I'll try my best. I believe it's an interesting tie into the main story's plot because the play focuses on the imbalance of power in relationships. And if you have read it before, I think you might have an idea of what character Kurt will play ;).

Again, thanks and please **R&R!**

**Chapter 3: Shakespeare for Dummies: **In which Blaine makes people sorry for him by airing his relationship troubles in public, Brittany scares Kurt, and Sebastian proves to be an insightful listener (even though he is deeply disturbed and conflicted by his own actions).


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Starring Role

**Summary:** Once upon a time, Kurt believed he found his Prince Charming but when he discovers Blaine to be only a manipulative and selfish hobbit, he decides it's time for him to become the star of his own life…instead of a background singer. AU Season 3.

**Rating:** Overall M, but warnings will be posted per chapter when needed.

**Main Ship:** Kurt x Sebastian,

**Disclaimer:** Glee nor its characters belong to me

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Sundae Without a Cherry on Top**

**A/N: **What was going to be **Chapter 3: Shakespeare for Dummies** turned into this huge chapter and the last half still needs so much work and it might take a while. I also split this part because it was long enough to be its own chapter and for storytelling purposes it works better separate.

I wasn't sure what to call this chapter but it's still Sunday in this verse, and a lot things go wrong so I think it fits.

**Warnings: **Blaine being a slightly abusive, manipulative weasel, cursing, and Sebastian's dirty mind

* * *

"You're a rich little boy

Who's had to work for his toys

You've got all sensibilities

Of an upper class guy

No, I'm not your little slave

No, I don't twist and turn that way

Only got bad things to say,"

"Seventeen,"-**Marina and the Diamonds**

* * *

_Fuck. _

_Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck….._

_Just fuck_

_What the hell was I thinking? Was I even thinking?_

_No, I wasn't. Clearly, it was Smythe Jr running the show, and his gang of hormones instead of my frontal cortex, or whatever is the center of reasoning and judgment in the human brain. But still that doesn't make sense because Kurt Hummel….is the old Betty White of the dating pool around here. _

_He isn't the type of guy to get my motor running. _

_Unless…did Evangeline start putting trippy drugs in my food? It would explain why it tastes so disgusting. And I wouldn't exactly put it past her as an attempt to turn me into a happy, shiny person and a citizen of good standing in the community. Memo to self: get a food tester, pronto._

Sebastian half-heartily pounded his fist against the steering wheel of his metallic red Jaguar XKR convertible. He had walked out of the Lima Bean over thirty minutes ago, but once he got into his car, he found himself unable to leave the parking lot. In his mind, Sebastian kept running the whole encounter with Kurt Hummel over and over again, trying to understand his actions. When he had noticed it was just Kurt, no Blandy in sight, Sebastian had felt strangely pleased as if Kurt was waiting around for him, _just him_. And from there it just got _worse._

Sebastian, even at that time, knew that he was acting like a petulant child when Kurt didn't automatically give him the attention he deserved. He was Sebastian- _Fucking_- Smythe, and no one ignored him; people threw themselves at his feet, fought for his attentions, and almost suffocated him with their cloying advances. However, Kurt Hummel did what he always did; he barely tolerated his presence. Sure, Sebastian admitted Kewpie had good reasons to be displeased with him. The whole going after Blaine(which was another odd thing about Kurt; he was weirdly perceptive about people's motives. It took several IM sessions with Blaine, before short stack figured out what Sebastian wanted-and by that point Sebastian was far from being subtle. Then again, Blaine was a self-absorbed twat who wanted someone to worship him unconditionally, so Sebastian was wary of how genuine Blaine's responses were in the scheme of things.), sleeping with Blaine and then bragging about it justified Kurt's anger and resentment. What _mystified _Sebastian was the fact that the moronic creampuff never attempted to check _him_ out since they met—that Kurt was so completely devoted to Blaine (oh what a mistake, little Kurtsie made there. Even Sebastian could see that Blaine was the weak chain in their relationship. Anyone with half a brain could tell Blaine was stringing Kurt along until he could get his claws into someone better but then again individuals with a quarter of a brain were a rarity in Lima, Ohio ) and acted like he, the girly clothes wearing, walking gay stereotype-_no believed_—he was superior to Sebastian Mason Smythe.

Despite the brave little toaster piece of flimsy armor that gayface wore, Sebastian could sense the tender, vulnerable, underside Kurt tried to hide away from his enemies. Like any good predator, Sebastian went after it with gusto. He enjoyed watching Kewpie squirm and then attempt to retaliate with his toughest "bitch please," face or his little insults.

Honestly, Sebastian thought most of the nicknames Hummel came up with were rather…_sweet_ in a unique way, proving that Kurt's bark was way worse than his bite.

_Because how is looking like a meerkat a bad thing? They're fucking cute, and Meerkat Manor is a testament to that fact. And CW hair and smells like Craigslist? __**Please**__, that just shows how jealous dollface is of the fact that I can get action on a daily basis due to my looks, while he can't._

_Except when he said that I had enormous horse teeth (which is not true), that was straight up bitchy and uncalled for. Though it totally proves the prude was checking out my mouth._

However, the smart ass retorts were not what Sebastian wanted to hear from Kurtsie (_You're better than me; you win, Sebastian_) , so he enjoyed pressing Kurt's buttons until he could get the other teen to snap and tell Sebastian what he needed to hear.

And today Kurt snapped.

The result hadn't been what Sebastian expected, that seemed to be the only rule about Kurt; he just had these moments where he defied the law of gravity. He simply couldn't break gayface completely, which pissed Sebastian the fuck off.

There had been other occasions in the two weeks Sebastian had known dollface and Blaine , where he had pissed Kurt off, but never to this extent.

_"You think this whole thing, my relationship burning to the ground, is fun? __**Don't you?**__ Well, guess what Smythe, I'm not here for your __**damned entertainment**__. Maybe __**I owe**__**you **__for showing me what a __**prick **__Blaine is, but that doesn't excuse __**your behavior**__ in my book. And if you want Blaine you can have him…since he attempted to lie to me about what you two did, me and him are __**through**__."_

The words were still echoing in his skull. Especially the parts of the speech, that spelled out now creampuff was_ single_ or Kurt had considered himself to be in Sebastian's _debt_, were doing the tango right above his hippocampus. The debt part was the most interesting in Sebastian's perspective. There were so many different scenarios where Sebastian could imagine Kurtsie paying it off… on his knees.

The words themselves were not exactly threatening, but the _way_ Kewpie had said them, getting all up into Sebastian's personal space, spitting out his little speech with an actually _fierce _attitude, and a demanding tone to his otherwise overly high voice, made Kurt's statement fearsome.

And it had given Sebastian a semi-erection.

_No one, I mean, __**no one**__ speaks to me like that. The few enemies I have made over the years, are always poised to stab me in the back, but they wouldn't have the __**balls**__ to confront me directly in a verbal showdown. Most of my peers realize that I'm going to get my way in the end, so they quickly raise the white flag and do as I ask (example: my position as lead soloist and captain of the Warblers, even though Nick was there longer and probably deserved it more than me). My father just gives boring lectures, or the silent treatment when I misbehave. Evangeline is the only other person I know that will dare to get in my face and call me on my shit (like when I screwed my last headmaster's son brains out on his family yacht in front of a whole crowd of alumna that come for brunch and was immediately expelled, or when I was fourteen and the night after my mom's funeral I went up on the roof to drink a whole bottle of wine by myself), but it comes from a place of concern or love._

_I don't see any of those things in Kurtsie's eyes. In them lies fury and disgust, but I don't mind because it's honest. It's better than the boys who try to kiss my ass and pretend that I'm some antihero they can "save."_

_What is more amazing are those flames that live in Kurt's eyes, especially when they are forced to look at me. I have always assumed that gayface is an ice princess, but I see now the ice covers up the burning flame within. I don't understand why Hummel wants to hid that part of himself, because it's fucking sexy._

_He's totally hot (in a way that makes no sense to me)._

_And it's even better when Kewpie curses._

_If I'm honest with myself for a few seconds…_

_….I want him. Badly. _

_I want those eyes caught in a storm of clashing colors._

_ I want his milky flesh permanently flushed like a budding pink rose. _

_I want to hear his voice change from a low, husky growl to the melodic high notes of his range and then back again. _

_I want his slender, long legs wrapped around my waist. _

_I want to be buried in his perfect ass, the ass I have been pretending not to notice since he strolled into my life. _

_I want his freckles. _

_I want his loyalty, the way he once looked at Blaine, his laugh, the brain that is able to keep up with mine, and fuck it, I want his heart._

_I want it all._

_I want fucking Kurt Hummel._

_And though I have been denying it since the beginning, Hummel is no ugly duckling, but a bird of paradise. However, all of this is wrong. I'm not supposed to want someone like him. I'm not supposed to want more than one night stand with a guy._

_This whole thing is so very twisted._

_Maybe I'm sick or this is some horrible nightmare that I will someday awake from, but until then I don't know what to do. _

_There has to be a rational explanation for this sudden feeling. Maybe it's because I feel sorry for him since I did fuck his boyfriend and show Kurtsie how nasty Blaine truly is underneath his charming veneer (even though that was not my purpose at all). _

_Maybe it's because of dollface's stupid clothes… _

_Usually he wears all those layers and tries to make a stupid fashion statement that no one else understands, but today he was wearing this thin, clingy, dove-grey sweater with an asymmetrical hem (I don't want to know how I know that term) that fluttered around his thighs coupled with these tight, pinstriped pirate-like pants tucked into his usual bitch boots. I could see everything._

_But it wasn't enough._

_ I still wanted to see more and rip away all of Kurt's designer clothes away. Except the sweater. The sweater could stay when I fucked him, because it looks so soft and makes his skin look even creamier, like the flesh of the boy I chased in my dream._

_I'm pretty sure now that boy was Kurt._

_See? This is fucked up…I'm not supposed to care or think about that sort of shit. There is a reason why Freud's theories about dreams have been discounted, because they don't mean anything in a way that is provable. People who believe in dreams are simply romantic, feeble-minded idiots. They're mediocre randoms who live in the clouds instead of cold, hard reality where people die for no reason._

_Maybe it's his hair…_

_Despite whatever hairspray Hummel uses to shellac it into place, it feels so soft and thick under my fingertips. Way better than Blaine's, for sure._

_Whatever it is about Kurtsie that makes him different ,in comparison to all my other conquests, just doesn't compute for me. Maybe if I just fucked him once I could flush him out of my system, but my gut tells me that is a fool's errand. _

Sebastian groaned as he watched Kurt amble (scratch that, more like strut) out of the Lima Bean, clutching his messenger bag, with his hips ever so slightly swaying as he walked, and the edges of his sweater fluttered in the mild October breeze. He felt like a creeper, but Sebastian couldn't help himself until Kurt disappeared from his sight.

He hunched over the steering wheel, bringing his forehead to rest against it, and breathed in the rich, expensive scent of the Jaguar's black leather interior. It was a comforting smell, which drowned out the memory of Kurt's crisp but slightly minty and woodsy cologne from his mind,

Sebastian needed to forget all about fucking Kurt Hummel.

Because of what he did with Blaine, Kurt would never want Sebastian in return (the threat of a possible rejection, something he never experienced , was something Sebastian theorized he was unable to emotionally cope with and would lead to regressing to a childlike state).

Additionally, since Sebastian didn't know why this infatuation occurred in the first place, there was no need to act on it. It would eventually go away because it had to be a simple crush.

It had to go away, it just had to for the sake of Sebastian's sanity.

For Kurtsie was just a loser with a high voice, girly clothes, and a bitchy personality. Nothing to write home about.

Just a loser that was taking over his thoughts.

_FML_

* * *

Kurt didn't want to be here.

It felt like he made the wrong decision by driving to Westerville; like of those blonde girls in the horror moves he loved to heckle at, who thought it was brilliant idea to split up, go down to dark basement, or not charge their cell phones.

Technically, he could wait for tomorrow to give Blaine back his phone, but starting on Monday Kurt wanted to make his break between himself and his…_ex _more official by physically avoiding him. God, it felt weird calling Blaine his ex-boyfriend, but Kurt knew it was that was the right decision. He doubted anyone else would agree with him, but he had to be selfish and firm on this one issue. It helped that Kurt had shut off his cell, so he could avoid the angry mob that would demand to know why the "gay wonder twins" were no longer attached at the hip after looking at Kurt's Facebook page. If people truly insisted in knowing why they broke up, he would either plead the fifth or give a similar answer to what he said already to Finn. Kurt didn't care to know what Blaine was going to say about the issue; if Blaine wanted to fling mud at him, it just showed how weak Blaine was underneath his false bravado.

The only class and activity Kurt shared with Blaine was glee club but if Kurt returned to using his impressive ninja skills from the years of avoiding the jocks, he could easily hide away from the hobbit, and potentially Rachel (who he could predict would take Blaine's side). He could last one year avoiding them in this barbaric town and then he would be in NYC. The place where he could be finally free …

Nibbling on his bottom lip again, a habit that was going to be the death of his lips, Kurt saw the still uncompleted essay question in his mind's eye. His complete application was due by December fourth; Rachel was sending off her application this week. Besides the unanswered essay question, Kurt didn't know who he could ask for a recommendation (Mr. Shue was out of the question, despite his kindness last year when it came to the Karofsky issue), he didn't have a portfolio to put together because he had no solo performances, and his resume was rather blank.

Kurt knew, though he wanted to live in denial (since it was such a nice vacation spot), he didn't have a chance. He was screwed.

Biting more sharply until he drew a few spots of blood from his chapped lips, Kurt wiped the blood off with a napkin. He stared at the barren driveway; again, he didn't want to do this alone. But it had to be done, and then he wouldn't have to worry about having an awkward conversation with Blaine for the plan was to avoid, sneak, and run if necessary from Blaine Devon Anderson, especially since Kurt still didn't know how Blaine might…_physically react_ to being dumped.

And besides, it was the responsible thing to return Blaine's phone as quickly as possible since Sebastian did make it quite clear (by leaving the phone behind like a piece of trash) he had no interest in doing the right thing even though it was obvious he had no problems with breaking into someone's else's phone to read their texts. And Kurt didn't want to be blamed. Sebastian was already shaping up to be future CEO of Enron material; cooking the books on his lunch break to buy the newest, shiniest toy that his black heart desired.

_I'm now actually happy that Blaine and I never sexted or exchanged certain type of photos, because Sebastian would have eaten it all up, and used them to destroy my life. Knowledge after all is a serious weapon, especially in the hands of that criminal chipmunk. _

Kurt turned off his Navigator, and removed his seatbelt. He remained in his seat, as he stared up at the immense Tudor style house in front of him. Compared to the Andersons and the Smythes of the world, Kurt knew his family didn't have much. In fact, Kurt's largest financial asset was his clothes, even though he had to spend hours on EBay and consignment shops to purchase most of his wardrobe. But at least the Hummel/Hudson's newly remolded two story bungalow felt like an actual home instead of a grand, but a cold and imposing structure a person just sleep and ate in from time to time, at least in Kurt's opinion.

At times, when it seemed like Blaine had everything, a cruel thought would twist in Kurt's mind of how there was one thing Blaine never had…a loving family, which Kurt had and he knew Blaine wanted more than anything. There were many issues in the Hummel-Hudson family dynamic, but there was never a shortage of love. Kurt couldn't say that Mrs. And Mr. Anderson were bad parents, but they were aloof with cold, judgmental eyes that raked you over hot coals to see if you were worthy of their notice. From their first meeting, it was clear that he was found lacking when it came to their standards and they referred to him as only "that Hummel boy." It was obvious they didn't feel that Blaine was bringing much "honor" to the family either, and it was painful to watch how Blaine appeared to be a like puppy jumping through hoops just to get them to acknowledge his existence and not compare him to his perfect,_ straight _brother.

Blaine was in utter abject misery in their presence or when he was reminded of their frigid temperaments.

Kurt wanted to be the one to comfort Blaine, to give him what he needed, to listen to his concerns, and give him the attention that he needed in order to take a bit of the pain away. However, it was never enough for Blaine and looking back on it now, Kurt saw the fundamental flaw in the unspoken agreement. He was playing the rule of a surrogate parent, not a boyfriend. Despite the beginning, when Blaine had come off as the wise mentor, Kurt was actually the only real person in Blaine's support network, which wasn't healthy. Also, it wasn't a two way street. Blaine didn't exactly nurture him in return and craved more attention than Kurt could provide him and turned to members of the New Directions or Sebastian to fluff up his ego.

It made perfect sense now, but Kurt desperately wished he understand the dynamic before, so he could had gotten Blaine some help. Now, despite Blaine being his first love and first boyfriend, Kurt didn't feel like expending his energy, especially since it would fall on deaf ears. For Kurt could see that if he did spend any time with Blaine outside of glee club, even on a platonic level, Blaine would find a way to drag him back into their relationship or find a way to exploit him again.

Another indication that Blaine might be one of those emotional vampires, because Kurt always felt sucked dry and filled with ennui after a few hours of direct contact with Blaine.

_ Vampires_, Kurt shivered, unlike a certain high school principal, Kurt understood that they didn't actually exist. He was a little bit of a horror movie fanatic but vampires always gave him the creeps. He had good reason to be on Team Jacob (besides the fact that Taylor Lautner was fucking hot) even though the general popularity of _Twilight _didn't much sense to Kurt since a) Bella was a damsel in distress, b) Edward was a creeper, c) all it was a supernatural love triangle with psycho vampires as the antagonists. Kurt rather read _The Hunger Games_, or _Pride and Prejudice_, thank you very much.

Hoping that Blaine was still attempting to accomplish his current mission of getting inside Kurt's home or harassing one of the their mutual friends to get info on him, Kurt stepped out of his Navigator and quickly locked up his precious baby. Kurt hurriedly walked up the stone path that curved through the front garden. Quickly going up the few steps that lead to the small porch, Kurt basically threw Blaine's phone into the antique brass mailbox, covered in tendrils of wild ivy. The lack of birds chirping in the air, and being on the rural outskirts of Westerville, encouraged Kurt to pick up his pace on route to his car.

With his mind already adrift, listing the things he needed to accomplish ( plan out his outfit for the day, iron it, prepare a backup for any slushie attacks, quickly make stir-fry for dinner, and look over his essay for AP European History, and attempt to work on his NYADA application for a hour) before turning in for the evening with a good book and maybe a mug of hot chocolate, Kurt didn't notice the too eager face pressed against the glass of the side window, watching him leave.

Reaching his car, and already unlocking the door when an enthusiastic yell of "Kurt!" rang in his ears. A olive-skinned hand was suddenly coiled around his forearm and preventing Kurt from getting into his car.

"Oh, Kurt! I knew you would see reason _eventually_. Though I don't understand why it took you _so long, _but then you have always been so stubborn. Not exactly one of your best qualities, but I digress. How about you come inside and we can read your apology letter together?," Blaine spoke a mile a minute with a eerily wide grin, before giving Kurt a obscene wink and caressing the side of Kurt's cheek with his free hand, "You know, my parents aren't home… after we talk, maybe we can maybe engage in—"

Kurt slapped Blaine's hand away, " _Apology letter?_ First of all, I have nothing to apologize _for_," Kurt wrinkled his nose at disgust at that notion that he was the villain here, "and secondly, I ran into Sebastian today and he gave me your phone…I was just dropping it off."

The look in Blaine rapidly changed from something akin to an excited three year old experiencing their first intense sugar rush, to a baleful, sad puppy, and then a revenging Fury at the sound of Sebastian's name.

"_Sebastian_," Blaine repeated, as his grip on Kurt's arm become tighter and more than slightly painful, "he just ran into you,_ how serendipitous_ . Tell me, did he have anything interesting to say?"

Kurt bit his lip, as he attempted to casually remove himself from Blaine's vise like tenure on his arm without much success, " He said you were a megalomaniac and based on the evidence….I'm starting agree with him. Maybe with a side helping of narcissistic personality disorder."

Proving all his old fears about Blaine's temper to be justified, Blaine let go of his arm only to curl his hand into a fist.

_Shit. Another bad situation where my mouth had gotten me into trouble, and I have attracted the attention of someone who wants to use me as punching bag for their psychological issues._ It was perhaps a unfair thought towards David, but right now his mind was focused on not getting punched in the face, by someone he once loved and trusted beyond a doubt.

"You promised me once, you would never say goodbye to me, Kurt," Blaine whined as threw his first punch and missed when Kurt managed to swivel to the side, "_What made you become so cruel and selfish_?"

"I wasn't the one who changed," Kurt muttered," I just saw the true depth of your character, and I found it to be very shallow and lacking in substance," he slammed the heel of his boot onto Blaine's foot. Taking advantage of Blaine's shock, Kurt nearly leaped into the Navigator and rapidly locked the door behind him.

Blaine's fists were immediately banging on the window, and Kurt could hear him manically shouting," I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kurt. I love you so much and I didn't mean to scare you. Please give me another chance, I need you more than anything Kurt…"

_I don't think he understands what he is even apologizing for and this is the second time he's used force against me…and I can't. I can't just play make-believe and pretend that is normal or okay._

_I can't support someone who seems so intent on drowning themselves and wants to take me with them. I want the biography of my life to be inspiring like Princess Diana, Madonna, or even Brittney Spears, not like Sid and Nancy._

Kurt said nothing, as he pulled out of the driveway. The last words he heard as he sped away were, "Kurt, you're going to regret humiliating me. **I promise you**."

Shivers ran up and down his spine from Blaine's threat, but he couldn't focus on his fear. He needed to get home; he needed to get away from Blaine. As he drove, quickly escalading towards the speed limit, Kurt pushed up the sleeve of his sweater and found the beginnings of purplish bruises shaped into the pattern of fingertips against his skin.

Wiping the sweat that was beginning to dribble down his forehead, Kurt sighed as he tried not to cry.

* * *

Sebastian was staring at the digital clock that read 6:32pm, as he attempted to balance a pencil on his nose. He managed to hold it for a solid two minutes before it tumbled off the tip. Technically, Sebastian had two hours of AP Physics homework to do. Just because he was capable of doing the work, didn't mean he wanted to do it. Hard science wasn't his thing.

Psychology was, and when Sebastian mentioned to his father that he wanted to be a psychologist, his father had to visibly hold back from chuckling out loud. Sebastian knew that he could be blunt, okay maybe a little bit cruel, but sometimes people needed to hear that, and kids fucking loved him so he could specialize in childhood development.

His phone vibrated, and Sebastian silently praised whatever ruled the universe, to provide him with a proper distraction from physics. The smirk fell from his face, when he saw it was Blandy who texted him.

**To Sebastian (6:37 pm):** what the hell did you say to Kurt to make him turn on me ?

**To Blaine (6:38 pm):** I barely said anything about you to him. You are not the only possible topic of conversation.

**To Sebastian (6:41pm):** I just don't understand. Kurt's acting like he used to do before we started dating. He's being rebellious and saying stuff…not so nice things about me.

Sebastian allowed his smirk to stretch wider, as he allowed his thoughts to be expressed in his texts without a filter.

**To Blaine (6:42pm):** I don't think you understand a lot of things, Blandy. And I believe Kurtsie is personally capable of thinking for himself and making the correct choice of who he wants in his life.

**To Blaine (6:43pm):** Rebellious, huh. I'm down with a little discipline…spanking can be fun. ;) Not you though, because I don't think it will help your issues.

**To Blaine (6:44pm):** And a demanding, vocal Kurtsie sounds fucking hot…I wouldn't mind following his orders if I could get him to moan, "Sebastian…Sebastian…god you're so big…Sebastian fuck me harder."

Sebastian wished he could see Blaine's face burning a bitter red from humiliation.

**To Sebastian (6:51pm):** Hahaha. So funny Seb. I know what you're doing, trying to me to feel jealous, so I let you screw me again after you said all those nasty things to me. Sorry to disappoint but I'm better than some ratfaced whore. And we both know that Kurt isn't sexy so stop **lying.**

**To Sebastian (6:52pm):** Stop talking about Kurt like that…It's your fault that we aren't together anymore. You need to help me get him back. Kurt needs me more than anything.

**To Peewee dick ( 7:00pm):** First of all I want to state I believe you are suffering from a serious case of arrested development or you are very drunk, because I don't think you know how you come off as a pompous baboon majority of the time.

**To Peewee dick (7:01pm):** Kurtsie is hot and I can demonstrate it in the following math equation. You can be defined as a hobbit, therefore you live in a hovel and have hairy feet. Kurtsie is a nymph, therefore gods chase him around and he gets invited to all the wicked parties Pan throws. Nymph hobbit = Kurtsie Blandy.

**To Peewee dick (7:02pm):** And by the way, it isn't sexy to dress like a 5 year old; it's kind of gross. Neither is getting drunk and grab other guy's asses that are clearly not interested in you, or the fact that you just stand there and then expect to the other guy to worship you…when you fuck.

**To Peewee dick (7:03pm):** Maybe you need Kurtsie, but he doesn't need you. He can do so much better than your hobbit ass.

**To ratface whore (7:05pm):** Kurtsie, huh that's some pet name? And you liked my hobbit ass. I think you still do.

**To Peewee dick (7:09pm):** You never cared when I called him gayface.

**To ratface whore (7:12pm):** because it didn't pertain to me.

**To Peewee dick (7:13pm):** you're a nasty piece of work, I'm ashamed I ever thought you were attractive.

**To ratface whore (7:16pm):** you know…Kurt sucks in bed. He didn't let me fuck him or even touch him.

**To Peewee dick (7:21pm): **That's because Kurtsie has standards.

**To ratface whore (7:24pm**): I highly doubt that you are truly interested in Kurt, but if you were, you would ruin him and turn him into 2 dollar whore, a real slutty skank. Then again Kurt has always dressed like a giant cocktease.

**To Peewee dick (7:28pm):** a) I'm pretty sure you're drunk because this is how what you sounded like on Friday night, trying to be a big man by swearing like a sailor. b) just because you're repressed and possibly possess a Madonna/whore complex doesn't give you the right to judge me or anyone else. c) not everyone in the world wants to fuck you so get over yourself, d) a real whore can't admit it to themselves and you're the only one here who cheated on a boy who loved you. So _burn _and lose my phone number, bitch. Goodbye.

Instead of attempting his remaining homework, Sebastian went on Facebook. He removed Blaine from his friends and clicked onto Kurt Hummel's profile page. Milo jumped on the desk, and rubbed his head against the frame of the laptop before tapping the area of the screen where Kurt's profile picture (where he was wearing a ridiculous white wig and what looked like a dress…though Sebastian could deal with the heels because they made Hummel's legs look even longer) was located with his paw.

"So I guess you like gayface too, Milo?" Sebastian asked as he petted the top of his cat's head. Milo gave a loud, excited meow, which Sebastian understood as a "yes."

"I think I might like him too, since I spent like an hour defending him," Sebastian clicked to add Kurt Elizabeth (_what the fuck?)_ Hummel as a friend, " I'm hoping one day, very soon, _Princess Elizabeth _here _rewards me_ for my courage."

Milo smacked Sebastian on the head with his paw before licking Sebastian's cheek and scampering away.

Sebastian didn't know what _that_ meant, but it summed up the confusion that was spinning wildly in his heart and mind about fucking Kurt Hummel. He really didn't know what he was doing, but Sebastian could start with being Kurt's friend. With Blaine around, Kurt needed someone to be there for him.

Even though Sebastian didn't know exactly how to be a _friend_, because he never had one before except for Evangeline. They were siblings though; she _had_ to care about him no matter what stupid shit he pulled. He could try. Though it might entail suppressing the desire to bend Kurt over every single flat surface because apparently people who were "just friends" couldn't fuck.

Until they had evolved into "friends with benefits."

_And maybe one day when Blaine has turned into a pile of ooze, and Kurt has forgiven me, I will hear his voice call out my name in a hungry and needy moan," Sebastian…. _

_…..Sebastian…._

_…Sebastian…"_

_Until then I have my hand, and a number of faceless twinks to satisfy me._

* * *

After Kurt finished toweling off in his bathroom, he put on a pair of navy flannel bottoms (despite what some people thought he didn't always wear silk monogrammed pajamas to bed, only on special occasions) and spread a thin layer of amica cream over his bruise before throwing on a long sleeved grey thermal. Seeing that he had everything ready for the next day and after performing his skin care routine, Kurt made himself comfortable in bed with his copy of _N0S4A2._

_The bruise._

He really didn't want to think about it, but the vivid contrast to his skin demanded his attention. It wasn't like he was trying to protect Blaine from facing the consequences of his actions, even though Kurt had done that before when it came to the sexual assault in the parking lot at Scandals. He didn't want to make the same mistake. This time there was no alcohol involved, only Blaine's anger at being rejected. Maybe the bruise (along with the threat) didn't appear to be a big deal on the surface, but they were signs of Blaine starting to cross the line into the Lifetime movie territory of crazy, stalker ex-boyfriend. And maybe Kurt didn't want it to escalate to the point where he was covered in bruises or Blaine tried to…before telling someone.

_But…_

Kurt didn't even how to explain what happened between him and Blaine. He would have start from the beginning and talk about all those bright red flags that he missed, and how he was nervous to be in the same room with Blaine. He owed it to his dad to tell him what was going on, after refusing to say anything last year for so long.

He would…

…_soon._

Kurt just wanted to avoid the moment of when his dad looked down at him as if he was a fragile thing that needed to be protected instead of a man, for a little bit longer.

However, if Blaine stepped out of line just once, then Kurt would spill everything, despite the hit to his pride.

There was one other thing that Kurt couldn't put off any longer. With a sigh, Kurt turned on his phone and found over a dozen missed calls and texts from everyone in glee club. Thankfully, there was no communication from Blaine but a majority of the messages were not very heartwarming.

**From Santana (4:23pm):** Huh. I guess you weren't putting out enough to keep the hobbit's interest, Prancy Smurf.

**From Boo (4:44pm):** Hold up, what did you do to upset Blaine? Whatever it is, Kurt, you should apologize. He's perfect for you, and underneath the garbage that sometimes relationships bring, you know Blaine's good for you. Don't let him go.

Kurt rolled his eyes, now Mercedes was talking to him and automatically assuming he was in the wrong. Maybe it was his fault for never complaining about Blaine, but couldn't they at all see that Blaine had flaws too? Or did Blaine possess a magical glamour to bewitch everyone?

** From GG's boytoy (4:57pm**): : (

**From GothicGoddess (5:12pm):** I don't know what happened between you two, but are you okay?

**From Noah (5:14pm):** Breakups sux. Sorry, Hummel.

Well, maybe some people were still willing to be his friends. Noah was a definite surprise but if anyone could understand about cheating and being dumped on…it would be Noah. Kurt made a few quick replies.

**To GothicGoddess (9:25pm):** Thanks for asking, sweetie…it's complicated. Me and you shopping trip, this weekend? I might let you drag me into Hot Topic.

**To Noah (9:27pm):** Yeah, they do. I appreciate you thinking of me during this…not so happy period of my life.

** To GG's boytoy (9:28pm):** : ( x 100

The rest of the texts were not as…friendly.

**From Artie (5:31pm):** Yo, how could diss you Blaine so badly? My boy is a total wreck. I didn't think you were capable of acting so cold, Kurt.

**From Quinn (5:36pm):** You managed to snag one of the few real gentlemen in Ohio. You are going to regret it when you lose him to someone else, so be an adult and fix your relationship. Blaine is too precious, as your first love to give up on so easily.

**From 1# drama queen (5:47pm):** This is simply unacceptable, Kurt. Simply unacceptable. Blaine is at my house, eating rocky road ice cream and drinking wine, pouring out his soul; his very soul. He is simply emotionally crippled. And I'm not thrilled with your behavior either; just breaking up him, out of the blue, without explaining yourself to Blaine is cruel. You are being very selfish right now, and with Blaine so upset this can seriously impact our chances at sectionals. They are only two months away and we need our lead male soloist in prime condition in order so he can keep up with me. The two of you remind me of my dads, and you have such an epic romance with him as your white knight. Please think things through or at least explain yourself. I thought we were friends, and you would tell me about stuff like this if you trusted me.

_Oh Rachel…we are friends. However, this is something I don't think you could understand. And it shows by the fact that you think Blaine and alcohol is a good combination, that he is my white knight, and he has already spun a tale about how he is the victim and you believed it._

_Comparing us to your fathers makes me wonder about the dynamics of their relationship, because it can't be healthy if it's similar to ours._

Kurt started to type out, _Please be careful_…but erased it. Rachel wouldn't listen to him, and hopefully of one of her dads would be around. There was still an unease that swirled in his stomach. Blaine made out with Rachel once before under the influence….he could possibly do more to her, even though Blaine said he was 100% gay…

_Rachel would think I was crazy and attack me for suggesting something so…base of dapper Blaine._

The phone calls were all from Rachel, maybe they did need to talk, but he did not want to listen to her loud voice tonight. Kurt knew he would get an earful in the morning once Rachel set her sights on him.

Curling up with his new book, Kurt read for the next half-hour uninterrupted. Despite the darker undertones, it was nice to escape to another world for a while instead of trying to deal with the constant demands of his unhappy and stressful reality.

Until the theme song from "My Little Pony," began to ring, signaling a call from Brittany. With a quiver of trepidation, Kurt answered it. He believed Brittany would be open-minded but she could be confused about what was going on.

Before he could even say "Hello," Brittany began to sing:

"Here's the day you hoped would never come  
Don't feed me violins  
just run with me through rows of speeding cars.  
The papercuts, **the cheating lovers**  
The coffee's never strong enough  
I know you think it's more than just bad luck

There, there baby  
it's just text book stuff  
it's in the ABC of growing up  
Now, now darling  
oh don't lose your head  
cause none of us were angels  
and you know **I love you** yeah,"

At that point, Brittany stopped, and Kurt began to babble," Brittany, thank you…I needed to hear something sweet and so kind. I wish…I wish I could hug you right now, because you are incredible."

"You're incredible too, Kurtie. That's why you're a unicorn and my favorite dolphin. And the squid shouldn't have been so mean to cheat and blame you."

"Brittany," Kurt raised a disbelieving eyebrow, "how do you know?" When he received no answer, he said, "….I know Rachel goes on about being psychic…but maybe you really are."

"I wish I was…because maybe I wouldn't be failing woodshop right now. I just saw what Blaine really was…a squid; I knew he was going to hurt you….I told Santana but she said you wouldn't believe me because you loved him too much."

"I hate to say it but I believe Satan is right about that, it was only until I had proof that I could see for myself that Blaine was a wolf in sheep's clothing…."

"I should have told you before…because your nice, and you stand up for me when people call me dumb like Santana does…and a really good kisser," Kurt couldn't help but slightly blush at Brittney's compliments. Blaine never said anything about his technique, and besides David (which would be not okay to ask, and just stood there in shock) there was no one else except for Bruce, the pillow boyfriend, and he couldn't talk.

Sitting up in his bed, Indian style, Kurt asked, "So enlighten me, what is exactly a squid so I know how to avoid them in the future."

"I don't you need to be worried about that, " Brittany giggled, " but a squid is a nasty person because real squids are just gross. Again, you shouldn't feel too sad, Kurtie, because unicorns and squids can't have babies anyway. And Lord Tubbington says that someone is coming just around the corner for you. Remember not to judge him. He's just a little bit different because he is a pegasus."

Kurt couldn't help but snort at the image of a unicorn and squid getting it on, and then outright laughed at the idea of someone, even a frigging pegasus going after him, "That sounds nice, it really does. I wish it was true but right now, I think I shouldn't be in relationship."

"You are going to miss out on so much!" Brittany gasped, "He is going to give you so many…what do you call them…Santana gives them to me all the time, and they're really special…Orgasms! He is going to give you orgasms all the time, like twice a day, you're going to be so happy!"

"Mr. Pegasus sounds like he has a lot of stamina and very…_intense_ but-"

"It's more than that, Kurtie. He is going to give you a family. Your kids are going to play with mine and Santana's…"

"Brittany-"

After a pregnant pause, Brittany switched the topic to Santana. From what Kurt understood from Brittany's slightly melancholy (but still fanciful) musings, Brittany felt that Santana was becoming rather distant and grumpy. Kurt noticed Santana was shooting dark glares at Finn (which was a disturbing portent) and her sullen, even disinterested appearance during glee club. He told Brittany he didn't know what was going on with Santana but once he figured it, Kurt would tell her.

Brittany ended the call with an energetic, "Bye, Bye Kurtie!"

_That was the weirdest but sweetest conversation I have been involved in. I'm pretty sure there isn't a Mr. Right for me, and if there was…the relationship won't happen for a while because I'm a complete mess right now…_

As on cue, his phone beeped with the arrival of a text message from the number that caused his life to self- destruct in the first place.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (10:13pm):** You're ex asked me to help you two get back together. I basically told him to go to hell. Aren't I awesome?

**To Craigslist Douche (10:15pm):** I really don't want to talk to you but to save myself the headache. I'm going to agree. Yes, meerkat, you are swell. You're superman, so go try to fly.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (10:16pm):** Crabby much?

**To Craigslist Douche (10:17pm):** I had a long, hard day.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (10:18pm):** You know what helps?

**To Craigslist Douche (10:19pm):** Pray tell me the miracle from the annuals of your wisdom

**To Bitchy Kewpie (10:21pm):** Smart ass. Talking to me which you are already doing. The best thing to relive all your tension would be to have sex with me, but that's physically impossible right now.

**To Craigslist Douche (10:26pm):** This is some sort of game to you, isn't it? Let's see how I can make Kurt's life more fucked up by being nice to get some embarrassing tidbit or just to mess with his emotions. I'm not a god-damned toy, Smythe, so just stay the hell away from me.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (10:27pm):** I don't want to leave you alone. Poke.

**To Craigslist Douche (10:28pm):** You're starting to sound like Blaine, which is not a compliment.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (10:31pm):** I screwed up when it came to Blaine. I was serious about misjudging him…he was never worth it. The whole time I was seducing him I wanted to blow my brains out from the tedium and listening to him whine about everything. You are a fucking saint for putting up with him for so long.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (10:40pm):** I want to be on friendly terms, alright? Truce?

**To Craigslist Douche(10:43pm):** Define what you mean by truce.

**To Bitchy Kewpie(10:44pm):** I won't call you gayface anymore or attack your clothes or attack/discuss your show choir.

**To Craigslist Douche (10:46pm):** Deal. And I'll _try_ to be civil. I don't like you and I don't trust you.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (10:47pm):** That just proves you have brains, dollface. So want tell me what's really upsetting you?

**To Craigslist Douche (10:48pm):** Don't call me dollface.

**To Bitchy Kewpie** **(10:49pm):** That wasn't a part of the deal, princess. You need to read the fine print. I can call you anything besides_ that_ word; believe me when I say that your delicate ears can't handle what I want to call you.

**To Craigslist Douche (10:51pm):** Just remember then I'm only trying to be nice then, sometimes I might fail, criminal chipmunk.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (10:53pm):** That's cute. Now, how about you stop avoiding my question, hmm?

**To Craigslist Douche (10:55pm):** Blaine…not wanting to let go… And people are being annoying. A lot of my friends think that this is my fault, that I need to fix things between me and Blaine. It has been less than a day…it's going to get worse…and them feeding Blaine's ego that he is the underserved victim in all this, might make me physically ill.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (10:56pm) **Then just get new friends.

**To Craigslist Douche (11:00pm):** Not going to happen, being on the bottom of the food chain and all. And Blaine would find a way to charm them too. I think he's part magic.

**To Craigslist Douche (11:01pm):** I mean if I'm a unicorn then maybe Blaine's a siren that lures people to him through song and then leads them to their doom against the clashing rocks.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (11:04pm):** Unicorn?

**To Craigslist Douche (11:05pm):** It's a long story

**To** **Bitchy Kewpie (11:08pm)**: Fascinating, I'm sure. I don't mind telling the Warblers what happened so Blaine can't razzle dazzle them…They probably won't like me for being involved, but they don't like me much anyway.

**To Craigslist Douche (11:17pm): **Ummm…there is no reason why you should do that…there is nothing you can gain from saying what occurred. I'm probably not going to tell anyone what really happened except for my dad… And the other Warblers are all so innocent, especially Trent, from living in the Dalton Bubble and Blaine is their idol. It would destroy them.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (11:22pm):** You're so damn sweet I'm getting cavities over here, creampuff. Kids need to know that their idol has clay feet, and I'm the alpha gay around here so they have to listen to me. And it will be fun.

**To Craigslist Douche (11:25pm):** I would say don't do it, but I'm hoping reverse psychology will keep your mouth shut. Alpha gay, really? What are you qualifications, Smythe?

**To Bitchy Kewpie (11:26pm):** I'm taller than you and Blaine.

**To Craigslist Douche (11:29pm): **Being taller = alpha gay. I was unaware of that equation, and you're just a few inches taller than me. I could have another massive growth spurt in me.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (11:33pm):** I doubt it, and you're at the perfect height for me.

**To Craigslist Douche (11:38pm):** I don't want to know what you mean by that…

**To Bitchy Kewpie (11:39pm):** So are you going to be around the Lima Bean anytime soon?

**To Craigslist Douche (11:40pm):** Depends on if I run into you and you molest my hair again, I might have to go to Starbucks instead.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (11:42pm)**: I might molest it, if I keep getting the same reaction. I love it when you get all flustered around me, and I think you are sexier with ruffled hair. Maybe if I sit on my hands the whole time, I can be a good boy for you. Or you like bad boys who break your stupid rules?

**To Craigslist Douche (11:43pm): **Are you always this way with people you are on "friendly terms with"?

**To Bitchy Kewpie (11:44pm):** Yes

**To Craigslist Douche (11:45pm):** Goody gumdrops for me.

**To Bitchy Kewpie (11:47pm):** You know you love it. Sweet dreams, now Kurtsie. xoxox

Kurt read the last message of the night a few times, before lying down on his bed.

_Did Smythe have a stroke? Is he still messing with me? Just what the fuck is going on? And why did I respond back in the first place, it's not like I enjoyed what he had to say? Right?_

* * *

"Speeding Cars," by Imogen Heap

_N0S4A2_ by Joe Hill-an awesome horror novel by the way.

I remember reading somewhere that canon!Kurt is not fan of vampires, so I added it in here, and this verse's Kurt likes horror movies, especially b-movies, along with Broadway musicals. I just thought it would add some spice.

Yeah, Sebastian isn't really capable of being "just friends" with anyone. Especially not Kurt.

**Chapter 4: Shakespeare for Dummies** will get the plot moving more, and all the Glee members are going to get involved (some more than others)…and more Blaine being a messed up asshat, along with more Kurtbastian bonding.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Starring Role

**Summary:** Once upon a time, Kurt believed he found his Prince Charming but when he discovers Blaine to be only a manipulative and selfish hobbit, he decides it's time for him to become the star of his own life…instead of a background singer. AU Season 3.

**Rating:** Overall M, but warnings will be posted per chapter when needed.

**Main Ship:** Kurt x Sebastian,

**Disclaimer:** Glee nor its characters belong to me

* * *

**Chapter 4: Shakespeare for Dummies/The BAMF Chapter**

**A/N: **Before I start, I just wanted to express my deepest sympathies for the Cory Monteith's family and loved ones at this time. He was a talented actor and on some level Glee is never going to quite the same without his energy/presence. : (

I could never figure out if glee club counts as a "class" or just an activity, but in verse it's an actual class, though practices etc may also happen after school.

Also, since from here on out, I'm incorporating more of _The Tempest_ into the plot. For readers who haven't read it, here is a cheat sheet of the main characters. Again, my interpretation of the play is not perfect and there will be differences in how the play is viewed in Kurt's POV, Sebastian's POV, or the actual director character's view etc.

* * *

**Prospero**: main character, wizard/scholar however you want to define it-he's powerful son of gun that has been castaway on an island with his daughter, Miranda. He was the duke of Milan until his brother, Antonio and the King of Naples, Alonso stabbed him in the back.

**Miranda:** Prospero's daughter. She has lived on the island for the majority of her life and has only known Prospero or Caliban. She is the love interest of Ferdinand.

**Ariel:** a spirit of the air that was trapped in a tree due to his disobedience to the witch, Sycorax. Prospero released him, making Ariel indebted to him. Ariel is his helper/slave who carries out Prospero's orders. His has a mischievous nature, and his goal is to achieve his freedom.

**Sebastian:** (I know, how perfect especially since this character has no problem attacking others in their sleep in order to the king) He is Alonso's brother, who is also shipwrecked on the island…he is not a nice guy.

**Antonio:** Prospero's brother who took over his dukedom, backstabbing rat, shipwrecked on the island. He and Sebastian are bros.

**Ferdinand:** The Prince of Naples (son of Alonso), he is also shipwrecked on the island alone until he meets Miranda. Miranda's love interest; Prospero makes him a slave to put a "trial" between the two lovers.

**Caliban**: is a savage malformed brute that lived on the island before Prospero came. He is the son of Sycorax. He believes that island belongs to him, but Prospero made him a slave after he attempted to rape Miranda. Caliban is openly rebellious to Prospero being his master, however, he easily exchanges those chains for liquor after he meets Stephano and Triculo. Caliban does appear to truly love the island and he is a foil for Ariel.

**Alonso**: the King of Naples, that helped bring Prospero to ruin along with Antonio. Shipwrecked on the island. He believes that his son, Ferdinand died and is grieving.

**Gonzalo**: is the old, noble who in the past tried to help Prospero, but is also shipwrecked on the island.

**Triculo**: a foolish drunk jester, has a bromance with Stephano, runs into Caliban on the island. Can be seen as a foil to Sebastian/Antonio.

**Stephano:** a foolish drunk butler, has a bromance with Triculo, runs into Caliban on the island, can be seen as a foil to Sebastian/Antonio.

**Boatswain**: in charge of the ship.

* * *

**Warnings:** Epic length, shit goes down, heavy Kurt perspective, explicit song lyrics, Blaine trying to be an evil mastermind, and my hands now hurt.

* * *

"Sometimes it feels like the side that I'm on

Plays the toughest hand, holds the longest stand

Sometimes it feels like I'm all that they've got

It's so hard to know I'm not what they want

I'm not their hero

But that doesn't mean that I wasn't brave

I never walked the party line

Doesn't mean that I was never afraid

I'm not your hero

But that doesn't mean we're not one and the same

I do my best to walk the finest line

Till I've had all that I can take,"

"I'm Not Your Hero,"- **Tegan and Sara**

* * *

Kurt was in the middle of grabbing the books he needed for the first few classes of the day when he was tackled. His bag and books tumbled to the ground, and Kurt would have joined them if he didn't find purchase against the nearest locker.

"Sorry, Kurtie! Sometimes, I forget my own strength," Brittany apologized with her pony tail bobbing behind her head, as she worriedly examined his face to see if he was alright.

"I'm…just a little startled…I thought it was _someone else_," Brittany cocked her head to the side, to give Kurt a unnerving stare that made Kurt believe for a moment that Brittany might have developed the ability to explode heads like Gillian in _The Fury_.

Watching heads explode could be fun, in theory. In reality, Kurt didn't want ruin his new cyan blue double breasted McQueen sweater with blood and brain matter or lose the capacity of higher reasoning…or_ die_.

"_Squid_," Brittany whispered with a hint of distaste in her tone, and before Kurt could stop her, she nearly crushed his ribs with another "tackle hug."

"Sorry," she said again, "But I think you are going to need extra hugs today. And like, every day, for a while."

"Did Lord Tubbington tell you that?" Kurt mused as he took one last glance in the mirror, attached to the inside of his locker. Besides the mirror, a small collage containing pictures of friends, certain celebrities he admired, a few of the fashion pieces, and accessories that were on his wish list, and the current cars he was drooling over, and a playbill for _Death Takes a Holiday_; his locker was rather bare.

He had already spent ten minutes that morning shedding any evidence that Blaine was ever his boyfriend. The photos with them together, along with any other tokens that had been decorating the locker had been completely discarded.

"It's not rocket science, to know that Lady Hummel can't deal with a break-up," Santana commented as she stepped in behind Brittany, and picked up Kurt's messenger bag, "I'm actually surprised that you're not some sentient pile of tears, fat, and goo on the floor, now that Polly Pocket dumped your rainbow ass."

Brittany just sighed at that comment, as Santana hurled the messenger bag into Kurt's gut before linking pinkies with Brittany. Adjusting the strap of the bag, Kurt started to pick up his books. As he watched the two girls walk away, Kurt couldn't help but to snipe back, "Maybe it's because I broke up with his hobbit ass _first_."

Santana stopped mid-step and spun around on her heel, her eyes glittering with the promise of a possible juicy and ripe scandal that she wanted to dig her claws into, "Explain yourself, Tinkerbell…and did you just use "adult language"?"

"It's not exactly any of your business since we aren't exactly friends; I simply wanted to correct your assumption," Kurt smoothed out the few wrinkles in his sweater. With a twist of his wrist, he closed his locker and started to walk away. He felt a pair of eyes burrowing into his back, and he could hear Brittany trying to bribe Santana with "sweet lady kisses," if she was nice to the other unicorns.

"Well, Hummel…I'm glad to see that you got your balls back. I was beginning to worry that Hairgel sucked out all of your bitchness," Santana called out down the hallway as Kurt turned the corner.

Kurt wasn't sure how to take the comment; coming from Santana it almost sounded like a compliment or that she had been worried about him. He shook his head. Women made no sense to him, especially Santana.

* * *

_Prospero is an exploitative, oppressive bastard, who likes to "play God."_

_Someone needs to cut him, in the face._

_Maybe I'm just projecting my personal issues into this story, but it's obvious how manipulative he is already towards his own daughter by the way he defined their history to make sure Miranda sees him in the light of a victim in order to keep her as a pawn in his plots…_

_Who does that sound like, at least lately?_

_Blaine._

Kurt looked upwards at the clock. He found out during AP English he must have left his phone in his coat pocket, after rummaging in his bag for ten minutes and found it missing. Currently, Kurt had twenty minutes of his free period left before he had to head to the choir room for glee club.

He was _so_ not looking forward to that, for in that room, there was nowhere to hide. With no other relationships in crisis mode, the Klaine breakup would be the hottest topic.

Kurt wasn't completely ready to face that discussion.

Or to be so near Blaine, again.

So far this morning, Kurt had found it easy to avoid Blaine and his pack of sycophants, due to the years of honing his ninja skill of extreme stealth.

Except for Rachel, since she had the same English class with him and Tina. For a majority of the period, she frantically kept sending him notes, which Kurt ripped up instead of reading. When their teacher, Ms. Carroll, had wanted them to perform scenes from _A Doll's House_, to help them see the nuances in the play, Rachel nearly dragged Kurt to the front of the room so he could play the Torvald (a role that sort of made Kurt feel sick to his stomach, at the moment) to her Nora, over his protests. Rachel was only stopped because Tina threatened to draw a mustache on her face, in black sharpie.

And then Tina did it anyway, when Rachel went up and performed both roles.

He really needed to do something special for Tina; Halloween was just around corner, but he had enough time to make some sweet costumes for Asian Fusion. _Maybe something along the lines of a corpse bride and groom…._

After class, Kurt managed to escape to the library, which had become his personal sanctuary over the years. Most of his classmates avoided it due to the old crone of a librarian who ruled over it like a personal fiefdom. However, after the performance of "Can't Touch This," she had appeared to soften, at least to Kurt.

And books had always provided him with comfort; it had always been a part of his bedtime routine that his mother read to him a few stories before tucking him every night. She was always amazing, doing different voices for each character and sometimes acting out certain parts with Kurt's stuffed animals. After she died, Kurt didn't ask for any more stories from his dad, because it wouldn't be the same and somewhat taint his memories of her.

Finding himself without any assignments that he needed to do, Kurt had randomly drifted through the stacks, running his fingertips against the books' spines. Until he reached the section devoted to Shakespeare; Kurt had read most of the plays at one point or another. _Midsummer Night's Dream_, _Romeo and Juliet_, _Much Ado About Nothing_, and _King Lear_ were his personal favorites. When one of his fingers brushed against the school's copy of _The Tempest_, Kurt thought of the pink flyer he clipped into his day planner.

Kurt was still on the fence of whether or not should he try out, since the last time he attempted a Shakespearean monologue he had been laughed off the stage.

However, there could no harm in finding out what the play was about for his edification, right?

_Wrong._

Despite some qualms with a certain character, Kurt had found himself absorbed in the tale. He had already finished the first three Acts of the play in record time. In some ways, it felt similar to _Midsummer's Night Dream _with a grittier, dark edge to the proceedings. For in comparison to the more comedic work, the spirits on the island were not exactly free and their tricks were used to prevent plots of murder, rather than messing with young lovers. The themes being poised were of power and control, forgiveness and redemption, tyranny and freedom, and the drives of human nature.

Now that he had gotten a taste, Kurt wanted to be part of bringing the production of the utopian (or was more like a chaotic temptation?) island to the stage.

_Most of the parts are interesting, and I would be excited for the chance of just acting in a real production; however, there is one character I would kill to play. _

_The one exception to how great The Tempest is would be Prospero, even though he is the lead, I honestly want to band together with Ariel and Caliban to bash his head in._

His immediate reaction to Prospero, (the hero of the piece) was automatic disgust. When it comes it literature or the theatre, everyone brings their own set of life experiences and interpretations, and Kurt acknowledged Prospero might have other layers, but all he saw a ringmaster playing people to achieve his version of "justice" against the crimes that had been leveled against him and his (truly innocent) daughter. A tyrant, basically, but with his numerous flaws he felt disturbingly human. While, the two "lovers" in the play, Miranda and Ferdinand, didn't feel real to Kurt. Love at first sight, was a lovely notion and in _Romeo and Juliet_ it had seemed almost probable but here Miranda and Ferdinand functioned like cardboard cut outs of human beings, more or less archetypes of what a pair of young lovers could be.

Even the obstacles in their relationship were created by Prospero out of thin air (making Ferdinand a slave, labeling him a traitor) made the proceedings fake and boring, which was saying something since Kurt knew he was overly romantic.

The characters who did capture Kurt's heart, which he could see as complex beings with real struggles were Caliban and Ariel, despite being seen as inhuman by the rest of the characters in the play.

_It seems creepy even, to think it, but if I could fall in love with a literary character it would be Ariel. In my mind, I can almost imagine his playful but still graceful mannerisms. The way his face would light up at the chance to play a trick on an unsuspecting victim. And when Ariel interacts with Prospero, I see an imbalanced relationship where Ariel is forced to play along and follow every command to get his freedom. _

_A goal I can relate to and with that motivation in mind, Ariel is more of an actor, trying to court Prospero's favor with sweet words that stroke at his "master's" ego (even though I can picture a slight sarcastic, or saucy edge to his words that Prospero is too blind to pick up on) so he can achieve his goal and not to be trapped in a tree again for twelve years. _

_He is a slave that is attempting to hold onto his dignity, while Caliban falls apart under the yoke of alcohol. _

_But Ariel isn't exactly powerless; he is able to enchant almost everyone on the island with his music (Ariel's Song is extremely beautiful) and part of the reason Prospero makes Ariel indebted to him, is because he is dependent on Ariel's abilities to make his schemes work._

_Ariel is a contradiction, and I would be amazing if I was given the chance to bring him to life on the stage, even if it is just a community theatre in Lima, Ohio._

_West Side Story had taught me that I'm not exactly "leading man" material but I think a mischievous spirit that thirsts for his freedom…is well within my wheelhouse. I mean I have the freaking ears for it. Though there is a sort of brutal irony that I would be playing a "fairy" after being called one for so long._

"Tinkerbell," a pair of feminine fingers snapped near Kurt's face, forcing him to look around and see Santana sitting in the chair next to him.

_See? Exactly what I'm talking about._

"Looking a little dazed and confused there. Did you get into Puck's brownies again?" Santana chided as she leaned over and inspected the cover of _The Tempest_ before pulling back with a smirk.

"That only happened _once_…Noah tricked me and-"

"I kind of liked it when you're high," Santana shrugged, "you're all about dipping Oreos into apple juice, singing, " (Yo Ho)The Pirate's Life For Me," and cuddling. You were almost too adorable to be real…" There was something sweet and warm in Santana's eyes until a slick, icy front took over her gaze.

"But that's not what I want to talk to you about," Santana ruffled through her red leather Fossil purse, and brought out Kurt's phone with its bedazzled skull and bones cover.

"_How_…" Kurt wearily shook his head, remembering Santana being the one to give him back his bag that morning, "just why did you think that was acceptable to…pickpocket my phone?" Kurt attempted to snatch it back but Santana roughly gauging his wrist with her nails, changed his mind.

"How many times you I have to say this, I'm from _Lima Heights adjacent_… I have roaming hands," she then made the gesture of "spirit fingers" with her free hand, before dropping it into her lap. Santana's lips thinned, and a twitch of what Kurt thought was akin to regret became apparent in the tight clinch of her jaw as she continued to speak, "It's perfectly acceptable to break a few rules, to do a right…and after Britt told me the password," Santana paused, arching one eyebrow, " _Skullcrusher Mountain, _really?"

"Maybe I'll know that a guy truly loves me if makes me half pony monkey monster," Kurt deadpanned, "In the future, that should be a part of my boyfriend checklist…"

"_Never_ tell Britt about the possible mutilation of the said pony."

"Duh."

"So you basically want a mad scientist as a boyfriend?," Santana inspected her cuticles before cocking her head to the side, "Probably a more solid choice than the king of slutty dwerps." Kurt's eyes widen dramatically, his lips pursed to spit out a defensive insult, "I saw the picture. I _know _everything, so don't try to deny it, Prancy."

Crossing his arms around his chest, and making a tattoo into the floor with his Cuban boots, Kurt sneered "What does it matter to you, Satan?"

Santana looked away, her eyes focused on the crystals in the cover of Kurt's iPhone, "I haven't always been fair to Britt, and I'm still not out, I mean to my family. I'm going to say something soon, or else I will lose her. But I haven't found the right moment."

Kurt's gaze gentled, and the sharp, serious lines in his face softened. He nodded his approval at that sentiment; Brittany, Kurt knew wanted to be acknowledged as Santana's girlfriend more than anything. Now, it seemed Santana was finally ready to take that final step.

His love life might have crashed and burned but he could still cheer on Brittany and Santana from the sidelines.

Santana sighed, "I have never actually cheated on her. _Not really_. You don't do that to a person you care about and it seems hobbit has crossed that line. And betrayal like that is the most fucked up thing a person can do to another. "

"To me, it never seemed like Barf cared about you. He liked having you around because it made him look good. You and I have never been exactly friendly, but I respect you for taking all the shit, in order to be yourself. And you deserve to be happy instead of being slowly smothered to death, due to someone's enormous ego."

Santana, slowly and with a glance to ask permission first, she held Kurt's hand, rubbing her thumb against his knuckles. Kurt couldn't help stare at her in shock; people didn't normally touch him and when they did…it felt_ ingenious_.

Her slightly calloused hand, which Kurt detected a hint of Japanese cherry blossom scented lotion embedded into her skin, felt sincere resting against his. He had always wondered what exactly Brittany saw in Santana, but in this moment Kurt had a peek into the person that Santana was behind closed doors.

Honestly, Kurt liked this version of Santana.

_I'm not the only one that builds walls and wears a mask._

"So tell Aunt Snix, how you _really_ feel about the bastard, I doubt any of those judgmental bitches have bothered to ask. And don't you _dare_ take the higher moral ground on this; this is me who you are talking to. Satan always knows when you lie," Santana wagged a finger in Kurt's face, before leaning back in her chair with her fingertips steepled.

The look of "I'm going to drag your feelings out by busting your kneecaps, because I'm the psychologist from hell," stamped on Santana's visage make it a no-brainer for Kurt to open his mouth.

Though secretly, Kurt was glad to know someone else who gave a damn about him, to want to listen to his problems.

"To use a Shakespearian turn of phrase," Kurt picked up the copy of _The Tempest _and put it back into his lap, "I feel cuckolded. When Sebastian actually sent me that picture…I felt empty, angrier at myself for allowing Blaine to abuse me then being upset at losing him. I wanted to have a clean break…but Blaine doesn't want that so, and he has started to drag me through the mud by saying I broke up with him "out of thin air."

Kurt rubbed the spot on his arm, where the bruise Blaine gave him hid under several layers, "And that's…_pissing me the fuck off _because he's allowed to get away with acting like a violent, spoiled child."

Santana's eyes narrowed at the word, "violent" but she didn't push the slip, instead she looked down at Kurt with shining pride, as if instead of cursing he took his first step or said his first word, "So you wouldn't be upset with the fact that Puck and I broke into the cafeteria, stole a bag of sugar, and then poured it into the Hobbit's gas tank."

The inner mechanic residing in Kurt's mind screamed out in protest at the devastation wrought against the innocent Lexus. While, the rest of Kurt giggled in delight like the goblins in the _Labyrinth._

Kurt cackled.

* * *

Despite the few dirty looks in direction by Rachel, Quinn, and Artie, things were relatively quiet in glee. Blaine seemed to forget that he existed for the moment, which Kurt was happy to encourage. Sitting by Noah seemed to help, except for earlier awkward conversation where Noah kept calling him, "my boy," (also throwing his arm around Kurt's shoulder) and insisting that he was such a "sex shark" he could help him out by acting as "wing man" so Kurt could get laid. According to Puck's expert opinion, get laid always helped after a nasty breakup.

Noah then offered that might make an exception to his whole "no dumpster chucking" philosophy just for Blaine.

Kurt politely refused both offers, but Noah still seemed to wanted go out, and have a "bro night."

Again, Kurt wasn't sure what that meant.

Meanwhile, Mr. Schuester had made several announcements, that Kurt half paid attention to, as he zoomed through level 5 of Tetris on his phone. The duet competition was going to be held next week, since it was "apparent" there was some communication issues and therefore everyone's song this week was supposed to be about something they wanted to say to another member in the group.

_Well, thank you Captain Obvious. I don't think a song is going to stop Santana for going after Finn's jugular for what stupid thing he said or did. Melodies and lyrics will not fix Quinn who isn't quite the same since this summer when she was reborn as a Skank for awhile and looks at Noah like he slayed her puppy._

_And despite the terrifying hopeful look in Rachel's big doe eyes, a song isn't going to tape me and Blaine back together again._

_Just no._

The other development was the theme for this year's show choir competition has been determined to be "spirit." Blaine has already suggested "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry since it's about "spiritual awakening" and he's been requested as the lead by Mr. Schuster.

_Yay._

_Can I go now?_

"That's meatloaf," Brittany said, disrupting the flow of the conversation centered on Blaine.

Blaine turned around in his seat, and slightly raised his eyebrows, to spell out the expression of "do you believe this, girl?" to the rest of the room and then chortled, "As always I welcome any feedback and criticism but I don't exactly understand what you mean by that comment, Brittany. Do you care to explain?"

Santana snapped to attention, with her posture transforming from slouched to a hawk that just sighted its first meal of the day, "She means your song choice is shallow and pedantic, duh, seven dwarfs reject," and with a snarl, Santana added, "And I completely agree, especially about the part where you are automatically considered the lead singer…I mean technically that is a _girl's_ song."

"So?" Blaine folded his arms across his chest, "A guy can sing a girl's song, and since I'm passionate about Katy Perry's work, I will the best at expressing the message."

"Then why isn't Kurt allowed to sing girl songs? He has a prettier voice," Brittany deadpanned, and Kurt could see Tina nodding in agreement. It also didn't escape his notice how tightly Blaine was clutching the seat of his chair at the mention of Kurt having "a prettier voice."

Having a conversation about fairness and equality about solos, was not going to be possible with Blaine in the room. Rachel didn't exactly look pleased with this development in the conversation either, or maybe it was because Mr. Schuester didn't go to her first about a solo or suggest a possible duet with Blaine instead.

_Whatever._ It was sweet of Brittany to think of him but…it wasn't worth it. He had accepted his place in glee club…_for the most part_. Kurt focused more on beating his current high score at Tetris, on his phone, than getting involved in this drama.

And from his experience, poking a sleeping bear (Blaine) was never a good idea unless you _wanted_ to lose your hand.

"It's like a …" Brittany paused for a second, "two-standard."

"A double standard, you mean," Blaine corrected with an obvious eye-roll, which led to Santana shooting daggers at Blaine with her eyes. If Blaine didn't shut his mouth, Santana will shut it for him, and Kurt might just lend her the needle and thread needed for the job.

"And there is no double standard when it comes to talent," Rachel butted in, as she intertwined her fingers with Finn's, " Blaine has the right mix of qualities that we need in a performer. We need the certain stage presence that he just excludes," she then frowned in the direction of Kurt, "He's not there…_yet._ Just think about last year when Santana sang "Valarie," we gave her a chance at singing lead and tied. This is our last year, and we can't afford to make such a costly mistake, so we have to depend on our sure bets, Blaine and I are getting a solo a piece, and a group number that features Finn and I in a duet…" Rachel started to trail off as she noticed the silence in the room.

Blaine was the only one nodding along and flashing a too-broad smile. Finn seemed to understand that Rachel might have crossed a certain line once again, and was trying to back away.

Tina muttered, "Bitch," and Mike tossed an arm around her shoulder, "Uber-bitch."

Quinn even raised an eyebrow, to remark _"Really?"_ before she continued to give herself a French manicure. The other expressions flittering around the room conveyed a similar sentiment.

As the room descended into an awkward silence, Mr. Schuester coughed into his hand, "How about we have a civil conversation about the other potential Sectional ideas…"

Rory had his hand up, before Rachel could spill a list of ideas that were already frothing at her mouth. Mr. Schuester sighed and pointed in his direction. However, Santana interrupted the Irish exchange student, "How about_ not_," Santana rasped, "How about instead we have an discussion about how nothing changes in here. How Man-hands still thinks she is the Queen of the Universe, and we are just her serfs that should be lucky enough to be near her holy presence."

Blaine patted Rachel's shoulder, "Rach, was just being honest. I'm sorry that you can't handle that but you need to accept it in order to improve."

"Like you would know the truth if it was your own damned Hobbit mother who bite you on your fugly ass," Santana said darkly, her eyes flickering from Kurt to then Blaine.

_Please Santana, let's not go there today._

"See this is the negative attitude, I'm talking about-"

"I rather have a "negative attitude," then the soul of a cheating-," Santana stood up and a few Spanish curses bubbled from her throat, when she and the majority of their side of the room noticed the "bird" Blaine had covertly flipped in her direction. She was about to step forward when Noah stopped doodling what Kurt thought had to be dicks with wings….again Noah wasn't much of an artist but Kurt didn't think he was seeing things….and tried to hold Santana from darting out and ripping out Blaine's throat. When it was obvious Noah was struggling to hold her, Kurt tried, the key word here was tried, to help but Santana broke free.

She didn't head for Blaine but the door instead, "Maybe Mercedes was right."

"So are you leaving us for the The Troubletones too?" Rachel squeaked, the note of panic rising in her voice.

"Why would I do that? I'm not playing second fiddle to Mercedes new ultimate diva attitude or hanging out with freak show reject, Sugar," Santana's eyes surveyed the room before resting on Kurt, " I want just to be somewhere where I'm more appreciated for me, which is certainly not here but there is nowhere else where I can go," she still walked out of the room.

Maybe a few seconds passed before Brittany got up and skipped to the center of the room, " You two are really…meatloaf," she said blankly to Rachel and Blaine, " And I really think we need to do a song about the struggles of unicorns and bicorns." Brittany pranced away after Santana.

"So…wait, " Finn scratched his head, " did they just quit?"

With that, the room erupted into a chaotic mirage of voices.

Kurt just stared out the window, since Noah stole his phone to blow up aliens, and waited until the bell could ring so he could be set free.

* * *

Originally, Kurt headed to the Starbucks located near the mall.

However, as he approached from the south entrance of the commercial complex, Kurt easily observed that it was packed. Though today had not been as bad as he imagined, Kurt felt tried from trying to reign in his temper and he didn't feel up to fighting with the crowds to get a seat or attempt to read the rest of _The Tempest _(along with his normal, heavy load of homework) among the dim. Going home was an option, but Kurt could predict Finn would be hanging around, nudging into his business to satisfy his girlfriend's insistent need to know exactly what was going on his life.

Once again, Kurt found his options limited in regards to having a quiet spot to study, where he could simply unwind.

There was the Lima Bean, but Sebastian made it clear (if his texts were to be believed) he would be there lurking around—not for Blaine—_for him_. A thought that left a bitter taste on Kurt's tongue. He didn't want to listen to some half-baked, pathetic lines that the meerkat had used a hundred times before, and was now was directing at Kurt, for a reason that made no logical sense.

Whatever scheme or nonsense Sebastian was trying to pull with his little "truce" idea, Kurt didn't want to be involved, But the Lima Bean was _his_ spot, and he needed a jolt of caffeine in order to slug through his homework before stopping by the garage around closing time, since his father wasn't going to be around to check in due to a campaign dinner.

Maybe for once, Kurt would be lucky.

A long shot, but he would find way to ignore the pesky, criminal chipmunk.

Arriving at the Lima Bean, ten minutes later, Kurt parked his Navigator in the parking lot, and walked in. He reached the counter, but before he could put in an order the barista, a guy in his early twenties with tan skin, floppy bangs, a thin gap between his two front teeth, remarked with a warm smile, "Mr. Nonfat grande mocha, right? Or ya going to switch things up?"

"Just the usual," Kurt pulled a few singles from his bag and pushed them forward, with a slight yawn. The barista gave him his change, and started to scurry around, filling out Kurt's order.

Kurt tapped his fingers softly against the countertop as he waited.

"So is the gelled up Muppet, Mr. Medium Drip stopping by or is Mr. Caramel Macchiato with the Extra Works joining you this afternoon?" the barista hummed as he worked, "I don't think it's going to get _too_ busy today, but I like to be prepared. Just in case."

Kurt recognized it was an innocent question but the idea of both or either of the other boys showing up just made him uneasy, he snapped, "Hopefully, neither."

"Damn, the three of ya are like my favorite show. Dudes aren't my thing, but my co-worker Gina and I have a bet on how long it's going to take Mr. Caramel Macchiato with the Extra Works to stop checking ya out in secret and finally make a move."

The young man turned around and handed Kurt his coffee. It took a second longer for Kurt to process the action, after listening to _that _screwed up and misinformed theory. Kurt looked up and read the nametag clipped onto the barista's smock, _Zach_.

_Was this Zack dropped on his head as a baby, or did he just not see the way Smythe acted with Blaine? I was never a blip on his "men I want to fuck," meter, more like I set off his "insecure boyfriend of my prey that I want to mindfuck with" meter with blaring bells and whistles._

"I think you read the situation wrong. _Very wrong_," Kurt corrected as he walked away.

"_Sure, I did_," Zach chuckled to himself, as he grabbed a magazine from underneath the counter, to read as he waited for the next customer.

Normally, Kurt gravitated towards one of the round tables near the front when he was with Blaine. Not wanting to bring up those memories of happier times, Kurt settled in at the comfy, plaid couch near the center of the coffee shop, accompanied by a matching loveseat. Pulling out a few notebooks and a textbook, Kurt completed his French assignments before returning to read _The Tempest_.

He was almost finished with the final act, when an all-too familiar, brash voice broke his concentration, "Howdy, _Kurtsie_. Room for one more?"

Glancing upwards, Kurt deeply sighed as he took in the sight of Sebastian standing over him. Smythe was in a dismantled form of his Dalton uniform with his jacket artfully tossed over his shoulder, a pair of Oakleys (was there really a need to wear sunglasses in October, in Ohio?) perched on the top of his head, his tie severely loosed, the collar of his white long sleeved dress shirt popped up, and a large coffee cup resting in his hand.

_Basically, douchebag couture…good to see the clothes and accessories truly represent the type of man that lies underneath._

Kurt said nothing, and was proud of himself from not responding. Until Sebastian put his coffee down on the side table and ripped _The Tempest _from Kurt's hands.

"Really, you're just reading_ this_ now?_ Psft_…" Sebastian flopped down on the loveseat and examined the beat up, paperback cover before tossing the book onto the coffee table.

"_For your information_," Kurt was mentally beating himself for talking back, "I'm preparing for an audition, a _cultured _activity that has nothing to do with picking up men in sleazy bars, so why don't you leave me to it?"

"I totally love to fuck," Sebastian deadpanned, "However, I've managed to cultivate other sophisticated interests, princess," he paused, "Not saying that sex can't be _sophisticated fun_, though I doubt you're been exposed to that concept."

Kurt looked skyward; _please save me from this obnoxious, smart mouthed, letch. _

"I would like to be the one to teach you," Sebastian leered, "I think that you would be such a quick and _eager_ student."

And at that, Kurt felt a pair of green eyes appraising his figure; first, crawling up from his feet, up his legs, his torso, his neck, and then settling on his face. Kurt tried to glare back at the stupid, meerkat but was only greeted with a smug grin, and the hungry eyes that at the moment were trying to undress him.

Kurt gulped.

Despite his layers, Kurt didn't actually feel safe from Sebastian's piercing gaze. He crossed his arms as an attempt to create another shield between himself and the Warbler, but it did nothing.

Kurt couldn't take his eyes away from Sebastian's face, though he was internally screaming at himself to keep it together, to not fall into the trap _Sebastard_ was setting up for him.

He was failing miserably.

_No one's ever looked me like that before…Ever. _

_It's as if Meerkat wants to devour me whole, spit me out, and then eat me again._

_Which is somewhat gross if I really think about it._

_Come on Hummel, two weeks ago the slimy cockroach was looking at Blaine, like he some was ice cream cone, he wanted to savor slowly. Remember all the times, he's insulted and degraded you simply because you were in the way of getting what he wanted, which was sex with Blaine._

_A goal he accomplished because Blaine is a wanton and a lush_.

_So, despite his statement of wanting a "truce," I detect something else at work. At Dalton, there are few other gay guys but Jeff and Nick are (truly) devoted to each other; Trent's confused most of the time, and Thad's…Thad. Sebastian does hit up Scandals every weekend, but there is still only a small pool of potential sexual partners for the nymphomaniac. This is Ohio, not New York or Paris._

_Poor Sebastian must be pretty damn desperate to be sniffing after the boyfriend of his latest conquest. A boy, he made it clear he thought was an ugly, sexless, thing._

_Just a gayface._

_Well, fuck him. _

_Blaine fooled me with his innocent, charming schoolboy act, but I'm not going to let myself be deceived again. Especially not by a smirky meerkat; I'm better than that. If he wants to come here and bother me, that's his prerogative, but I started coming to the Lima Bean __**first**__. I'm not giving it up to him; he's already taken something from me once._

_Unless he molests my hair again, because that seriously crosses the line, and I will then exile myself to Starbucks Land, though I can't focus in there and their tables are always so sticky._

"Please excuse my momentary horniness, I can't help _it_," Sebastian slurped his coffee, before putting it down on the end table, and licking his lips, " But back to the main point, when I attended the Abbot Academy in _Paris_," he arrogantly purred out the last word, "I played King Oberon and Iago. I hope you can recognize, despite your subpar education, the significance of those characters."

_"Color me fucking impressed," _Kurt elegantly crossed one leg over the other, and haughtily huffed, "I don't believe Iago would really be much of a challenge for you. You both are Id run rampant," he took a sip of his remaining mocha, and wrinkled his nose in disgust at the now cold liquid.

Sebastian smirked in the direction of the cup, which was being held in Kurt's hand, "Need another shot of caffeine, dollface?"

" I think that's actually a sign for me to go," grabbing his messenger bag, Kurt started to put away his notebooks, before sitting up primly and flashing a tight smile at Sebastian, " not that I haven't enjoyed running into you, Smythe, but I have more important people to see, and better things to be doing."

"I highly doubt that. I'm the definition of epic shit," Sebastian said smugly, "there is no one around that can really compare to me and my alpha gay status. And I'm not _done_ having this _entertaining_ conversation with you," he then stood up, and removed his leather wallet from his pants' pocket, quickly ruffling through the bills.

"I'll even play the role of dapper Dalton gentleman for you, Kurtsie, and pay for your next drink-"

At the words of "dapper Dalton gentleman", Kurt's mind flashed back to the moments, where Blaine had been the one to suggest a coffee outing and offer to pay for his drink with a cute smile, along with a flutter of his eyelashes….

_But that wasn't the real Blaine. I have seen the real pathetic monster lying in wait behind the bowties, and the stupid hair gel._

Kurt couldn't help but to dig his nails into the flesh of his palms, leaving behind angry crescent marks, at the reminder.

And based on the look of satisfaction on Sebastian's face, like the cat that got the cream, Kurt could tell that was the point of those words, and he had just given his foe the reaction he wanted.

"That's completely _unnecessary_," Kurt sputtered out, a deep red blooming on his cheeks, "And just drop the Kurtsie business."

"Come on, _Kurtsie,_" Sebastian tsked, "I know you would hate to take money away from your fashion budget. Those skinny jeans and old lady broaches don't just fall from the sky into your closet." Sebastian strolled away to the counter, where Zach the barista was idly flipping through the pages of a magazine.

Sinking down into the cushions of the sofa, Kurt sighed. Rubbing the temples of his forehead, Kurt decided to just give in, for the moment at least, "Nonfat Mocha Grande," Kurt ordered at Sebastian, as he started to idly play with airplane shaped pin attached to the lapel of his sweater.

_Someone's already failing at holding up his end of the "truce." Typical._

Sebastian swatted at the air in Kurt's direction, which Kurt had to interpret was his way of saying, "I know, duh, "or "Be quiet."

When Sebastian returned with a new drink, it was clear that Sebastian didn't know or simply didn't care to listen to him. From Kurt's knowledge of specialty drinks it was clear Sebastian brought him—_his order_—a caramel macchiato with an extreme mound of whipped cream on top.

Kurt raised a single eyebrow, "That's not _my_ coffee order."

"I thought it was time to tempt you with something new, so don't be a little bitch about it."

Calculating the amount of calories in the drink and what he would have to do to burn it off to prevent the state of having "pear hips," Kurt found it acceptable (at least this once) and reached out to take it from Sebastian, but the Warbler yanked the drink back from Kurt's grasp.

"First, I want to see the _great, fabulous_ Kurt Hummel perform a monologue," Sebastian sing-songed, and pointed to the copy of _The Tempest_ that was still out on the coffee table.

Kurt stared at Sebastian as if he grew an enormous tentacle in the middle of his forehead, "Last time I checked, I'm not some organ grinder's monkey that has to sing and dance on command."

Sebastian's lips curved into a wide, lazy smile as he sat down in the nearby loveseat, putting the drink on his side of the end table, his loafer clad feet on the coffee table, and his hands behind his head, and jeered, "Yes, you are! Dance, cute monkey, dance!"

"**_Just no_**," Kurt stood up, and reached for his book, "I don't answer to snobby, spoiled _little boys_…I have too much self-respect."

Kurt started to stalk away from Sebastian with his shoulders ramrod straight, and a defiantly raised chin, when Sebastian remarked coolly, "Don't you want to prove to me, that you're good at something besides… _dressing like a girl_?" and pointed at Kurt's outfit (which was honestly rather tame by his standards: a double breasted sweater, with a collared checkered dress shirt underneath, dark blue skinny jeans, brown, calf length Cuban boots, and one pin. It was not _girly._).

_Fuck his truce._

"There is no need to prove anything to the _likes_ of you, Smythe. I know I'm outrageously talented," Kurt said sharply as he continued to walk toward the entrance of the Lima Bean, and away from the puerile meerkat.

"_Maybe you are_," Sebastian conceded and turned in his seat to stare at Kurt, with a twisted smile "But no one can tell when are always standing in the shadows of Bland and the Barbara Streisand wannabe, and given a part in West Side Story where you don't get the chance to _even _sing or dance. Even though from what I understand from talking to _Blando_, it was your father who made the whole play possible in the first place…"

He continued on, though there was a part of Kurt that wanted to storm out, Sebastian's words echoed his own thoughts on the matter, the thoughts he wasn't allowed to say, and his feet refused to take another step.

"I'm _technically_ a rival, but I can give you _real_ feedback that isn't blinded by my ego unlike some of your _little friends_….I mean don't you want to convert someone into being your fan instead of Bowtie's?"

"Come on _Kurtsie_, give me your best shot," Sebastian said boldly, with his green eyes glinting with a challenge that Kurt couldn't go without answering.

And that's how Kurt found himself dumping his bag besides Sebastian, jutting his hip out as he skimmed through _The Tempest_ to find the perfect speech, to wipe the high and mighty look off the Warbler's face. Finding what he was looking for, Kurt stood in front of Sebastian, who had returned to his earlier state of a sprawled out jungle cat.

The cocked eyebrow, and the so confident poise Sebastian displayed, made Kurt realize that Sebastian had found another way to rope him back into staying with him, by exploiting Kurt's Achilles' heel; his need to prove that he was worthy, that he was enough.

_Shit._

_Why does Sebastian just make me see red, and forget to fucking think things through?_

_Whatever. If he wants a show, I'll give him a damned show. Even though it feels like I'm a fool trying to amuse a petulant, pompous prince._

"You are three men of sin, whom Destiny," Kurt started, "That hath to instrument this lower world-"

"_Oh no_," Sebastian shook his head, "this won't do. I thought you were better than _this_. Haven't you heard of _projection_, Kurtsie?" he sassed with a pronounced eye roll.

Biting his lip, Kurt scanned the Lima Bean. There was a definite lull, with only a few customers scattered around the coffee house. An older couple was talking quietly in a back table, a young woman who was sitting by a nearby table, who was furiously typing and looking like she had been living on coffee for days, and then there was a crowd of maybe thirteen year old boys feasting on cookies and cupcakes.

Unlike Blaine, Kurt didn't think it was always a good idea to make a spectacle of himself in public. People had better things to do to listen to him sing or dance….and a flash of Jeremiah's humiliated face from the Gap Attack, was a reminder of how it could be taken too far.

But…Kurt needed to give it his all, for the simple, _delicious_ satisfaction of making Sebastian eat his words.

If his performance bothered anyone, Kurt would treat them to another drink…or make Sebastian pay since this was his stupid idea after all. Kurt knew he saw a couple hundred dollar bills along with a fifty or two when Sebastian had opened his wallet, with several platinum credit cards standing proudly in their slots.

Closing his eyes, and rolling his shoulders, Kurt imagined himself on a _real stage_ for a moment with an audience awaiting for him to appear as Ariel in his harpy form, as he made Sebastian (it might be useful to think of the real Sebastian as the nobleman in question) Antonio, Gonzalo, Alonso as prisoners of madness to carry out Prospero's justice. Kurt could also imagine Ariel being elated at the chance to express his power, to have a chance of being the one with authority. For in comparison to his earlier carefree and springy verses, here Ariel's voice changed to reflect a domineering and harsh tone, since he was the one who was in control of these mortals.

With a deep breath, Kurt opened his eyes.

He did not hesitate to leap on top of the coffee table, and focusing only on Sebastian; the sole member of his audience. Kurt skewed his face into a mocking jeer, and though he was forced to still hold onto the book since he had not yet memorized all of the lines, Kurt beat his free arm as if it was an actual wing.

He stated then, grandly but with a touch of menace underlying the words; there was no need to be chewing at scenery, when Kurt saw a slower burning climax of what type of threat Ariel presented to the nobles:

"You are three men of _sin_, whom Destiny,  
That hath to instrument this lower world  
And what is in't, the never-surfeited sea  
Hath caused to belch up you; and on this island  
Where man doth not inhabit; you 'mongst men,"

Kurt then cackled, throwing his head back, his eyes wide with a malevolent glee:

"Being _most unfit_ to live. I have made you **_mad_**;  
And even with such-like valour men hang and drown  
Their proper selves."

He sneered and waved away at the nobleman who were supposed to be in the scene, who were daring to attack him, a creature made of air:

**"You fools!** I and my fellows  
Are ministers of **Fate**: the elements,  
Of whom your swords are temper'd, may as well  
Wound the loud winds, or with bemock'd-at stabs  
Kill the still-closing waters, as diminish  
One dowle that's in my plume: my fellow-ministers  
Are like _invulnerable_. If you could hurt,  
Your swords are now _too massy_ for your strengths  
And will not be uplifted. But remember—  
For that's my business to you—that you three."

Kurt returned to a more calm state for here was the point of this whole speech; how these men had betrayed Prospero and that needed to be driven home. However, Kurt maintained a sense of possible physical wrath in his poise, and viewed Sebastian as the scum of the earth (which wasn't very hard to do) with his gaze as he cocked his head to the side:

"From Milan did supplant **_good_** Prospero;  
Exposed unto the sea, which hath requit it,  
Him and his innocent child: for which _foul_ deed  
The powers, delaying, _not forgetting_, have  
Incensed the seas and shores, yea, all the creatures,  
Against your peace. Thee of thy son, Alonso,  
They have bereft; and do pronounce by me:  
_Lingering perdition, worse than any death _  
Can be at once, shall step by step attend  
You and your ways; whose wraths to guard you from—  
Which here, in this most desolate isle, else_ falls _  
Upon your heads—is nothing but heart-sorrow  
And a clear life ensuing."

When his Kurt finished, he felt slightly tired from the amount of energy he just spent performing, as he stepped off the table, The older couple were actually clapping, and the young woman graced him with a small smile. The boys looked at him like he was freak (which Kurt expected) but they were done with gawking at him.

"There ya go, Mr. Nonfat Mocha Grande, show him what ya got," Zack leaned over from the counter and whooped. Kurt blushed at the praise. Sebastian was silent but there something akin to appraisal on his face. He only handed over the cup to Kurt, who took it and returned to his original seat.

Kurt removed the clear convex cover; the whipped cream was starting to melt. If he was going to indulge, he might as well enjoy the best part. Though he felt like maybe Finn's personal eating habits were starting to rub off on him, Kurt still delicately whipped the cream off with his fingers and licked it off before taking a sip.

There was an awkward silence, and when Kurt looked up Sebastian's eyes had changed to a shade of mossy green, instead of their usual bright hue. Kurt shrugged the intense look off and continued to drink, though he could tell it was _not_ at all fat-free.

"You were good," Sebastian said slowly and with obvious difficulty, as if each word weighed fifty pounds, "_Very good_."

"_Told you_," Kurt stuck out his tongue, as he causally tossed his head to the side.

"Is that…is Ariel the part you want to audition for?" Sebastian questioned as he leaned in closer to Kurt, "You would be _perfect_ for it, dollface."

The lopsided grin that showed off the dimples in Sebastian's cheeks, combined with the crinkling around his eyes, made Kurt believe the taller teen was being genuine, but the "dollface," at the end reminded Kurt of all the occasions Sebastian had referred to him as "gayface," or "old Betty White." And just because Sebastian was playing nice, didn't mean he was going to sneak in a few barbs.

Kurt narrowed his eyes, "Is it because I already look so much like a "fairy" that playing Ariel would take no effort on my part? That when the director sees me, he is going to be like "the Hummel kid is already such a limp wrist, and there is no one else that has such a gayface-he'll do."

"_Hummel_," Sebastian said with obvious bewilderment, and his eyebrows furrowed in a single line of confusion.

Kurt continued on, tapping a finger against the corner of his mouth, his eyes looking skyward,

"Historically, Ariel has been played by women, because technically "he" doesn't have a real gender. And I'm already so much like a girl, not a," Kurt gestured to Sebastian, "_manly lacrosse stud"_ like you that Ariel is the only role for me-"

Reaching over, Sebastian grabbed Kurt's wrist, "Shut up, you're giving me a headache."

"_I'm so sorry_," Kurt drawled; he attempted to wiggle out from Sebastian's grasp, but the taller brunette retained a firm, but not bruising grip.

"Listen to me for a damn second, I didn't mean it _that way_, alright?"

Kurt just scowled.

"I have no reason to lie to you. I mean, think about it, how would I profit from it?" there is a throbbing note of sincerity to his voice that is makes it difficult for Kurt to automatically dismiss Sebastian's plea.

"You're all about the _benefits_. "Me, me, me, me," is your personal mantra," Kurt admitted, and the distrustful scowl began to dim in his eyes, "Which is why is I believe you were born in the wrong decade. You, Sebastian Smythe, should have been a 1980's yuppie, who eventually goes mad and becomes an American psycho."

_"Exactly, Kurtsie_," Sebastian smirked. He moved in closer, so now their knees were bumping into each other. The hold on Kurt's hand remained constant, but Sebastian picked it up to examine it, like it was a piece being evaluated on _Antiques Roadshow_ (and it was honestly creeping Kurt out, because it belonged to the category of behavior that also included the earlier eye-fucking).

"Look, I could tell that you just connected with that character at that particular moment. I believed you _were_ Ariel. I mean," Sebastian released Kurt's hand, to toy with his coffee cup, no longer looking Kurt in the eye, " You have a very_ expressive_ face, but it's not over the top, but just right to show a part of the character's soul along with your own."

"Why Smythe," Kurt placed a hand over his heart, "I didn't know you were so deep."

"Oh, I'm deep, Kewpie. **Real deep**. The total brooding in the shadows with a depressing backstory type," Sebastian flashed a cocky grin, with his knee now purposely brushing against Kurt's leg. An action that Kurt didn't notice, and the lack of response on Kurt's part led to a slight frown tempering Sebastian's lips for a nanosecond.

"I see it _completely_," Kurt rolled his eyes, "The one thing I know about you is that you are a complete asshole-"

"Sir, you insult my family honor."

"…but you're an _honest _asshole, which is a grade above Blaine, so I accept your compliment, and I won't question your motives for the next thirty minutes."

"Speaking of Blandy, too-short pants," Sebastian snorted, "I'm curious why he was the lead for West Side Story. He's a good singer, better than me in _some_ genres, but he forces emotions down your throat, with his extreme facial expressions, that make me think he is about to take a dump on stage or he is practicing his orgasm face, which does need a lot of work to not cause you to turn to stone, when faced with its Medusa-like foulness."

Kurt laughed, hard and long, nearly slapping his knee at the audacity of it all. It had been a while since he truly just laughed for the hell of it. Far too longer, and he didn't even feel embarrassed when the last chuckle turned into a pig-like snort (something that would make him feel instantly insecure around Blaine)," That's so…so true. "

As Kurt attempted to straight himself out, he explained, "The truth of the matter is that I was supposed to be Tony. Everyone agreed that I should be the only one to audition for it since I needed it for my NYADA audition. Even Blaine was okay with it, because he wants to pursue a major in business either at Northwestern or NYU. My audition didn't go that well…I was laughed at when I performed a scene from _Romeo and Juliet_ with Rachel, because I'm not…."

A spark of recognition burned in Sebastian's eye, "Not stereotypically "male" even though Romeo was over the top mushy romantic, immature seventeen year old brat; who switched from loving a gal named Rosalind to Juliet in a day," Sebastian paused, "… that fits Blaine's personal character quite well exactly… but that's not really considered acting then."

"Yeah," Kurt nodded solemnly, "it didn't help when Blaine was trying out for a supporting role, and he sang one of Tony's songs….and when they heard him…." Kurt trailed off, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, "they automatically gave the role to him."

"Sounds like something I would do," Sebastian mused as he cupped his chin, his long, tan fingers stroking the slight cleft.

"_What?_" Kurt questioned as he drained the last of his coffee, and set the cup down.

"The third rule to living the good life, in my personal guidebook, is the "ends always justify the means."

"You would be a student of Machiavelli."

"So? Nothing wrong with that…,"Sebastian shrugged, "especially since because of that simple little rule I _always_ get whatever strikes _my fancy_," his lips curved into a wicked grin, that made Kurt back away slightly, as if he was burned (and that heated, ravenous took over Sebastian's gaze as he boldly inspected Kurt once again) "I totally think Bland was taking a page or two out of his book."a

"Blaine…." Kurt shook his head, "may have issues, _a lot of issues_, and is obvious to my feelings, but I don't think he did _that_ on purpose. Other things yes, not _that_…he knew I needed _that_…"

"And that's proof right there, Blaine's more crafty than at a first glance, for Machiavelli also said, "The vulgar crowd always is taken by appearances, and the world consists chiefly of the vulgar."

"_Vulgar_," Kurt sneered, "is not a descriptive term that can be applied to me. Though it fits_ you _to a T."

"No need to take out your claws, kitten. I was referring to the merry band of misfits that you lower yourself to associate with at that prison you call a school. You were just a lost lamb, _my little sweetheart…_," Kurt gave Sebastian his fiercest bitch glare and was greeted with the slap of a loud chuckle, "who _lurvvvvvvved_ the wolf, which shows how talented Blaine is at maintaining his innocent demeanor, and everyone believing it to be true even though his actions paint a not so pretty picture."

"I mean, may I ask what you did do when you found out about him getting the part of Tony?"

"I gave him flowers," Kurt blanched and started to shake," roses, to show I wasn't mad…"

"_Poor little Kurtsie_," Sebastian attempted to touch Kurt's cheek, but Kurt smacked his hand away, "he had you twisted around one of his stubby fingers, didn't he?"

Kurt said nothing for a moment, and then he whispered, "Fuck."

Memories swirled in Kurt's mind; yes, things had been wrong for so long with his relationship with Blaine, but he had believed that Blaine wasn't exactly plotting to hurt him or take over the spotlight. It happened because Blaine was just oblivious to his emotionally immature behavior.

Which wasn't an easy burden to bare but it was lighter than the idea that Blaine was a schemer, full of malignant intention, and determined to get his own way despite the consequences of his actions.

_I'm a fucking dunce._

_Blaine and Sebastian share so many common interests and behaviors, don't they?_

_No wonder they hooked up._

_ Except Blaine didn't have the decency to be honest about his true nature. He donned a convincing mask instead, which means everything that happened between us, even the few good moments, were nothing…just corrupted lies. _

_That's one point in Sebastian's corner; I suppose that he doesn't hide what he is…not that I truly trust him at all. Just because you can see and hear a rattlesnake doesn't mean you can always protect yourself from being bitten._

"_You're right_," Kurt choked out, a part of him wanting to take back those words, and his hands started to agitatedly dance along the edge of the end table, " I always thought I was a fox; someone that was capable of sniffing out snares. I could never be a lion who can scare away the wolves at my front door, but at least I possessed a decent brain, a rare commodity around here."

Sebastian snickered at that, and while Kurt was still being distracted by his dizzying, muddled thoughts, Sebastian placed a hand on top of Kurt's dark denim clad knee.

"Or a better way to say it," Kurt bit his bottom lip, worrying the flesh once more, "is…well don't laugh at this, but to use a Disney princess analogy…I always thought I would be Belle, someone capable of seeing beyond appearances, but that can't be right since I basically dated Gaston!" Kurt threw his arms in the air before folding them across his chest.

To Kurt's surprise, Sebastian didn't laugh or turn around and use what Kurt said into an insult. He found a way to loom closer, his gaze piercing and deeply focused, "Nah," Sebastian shook his head, "You wouldn't be Belle, again…more like the Little Mermaid…_Ariel_. Someone that is capable of giving up their voice for the person that they love," Sebastian continued after a slight pause, "She was feisty too, which is another thing you have in spades."

Kurt's eyes widened in shock.

"What? I was a kid _once,_ and Disney movies are a required part of childhood," Sebastian snapped, "And back to you first comment, you're still a smart little fox, you just got blinded and Blando used the chance to stab you in the back. But you have nothing to fear, Kurtsie, because I can be the lion guarding your door," Sebastian removed a piece of paper from his pocket, with his free hand (the other hand was still slowly climbing up Kurt's thigh).

"Ta da!" Sebastian exclaimed as he smoothed it out.

In front of him, Kurt saw a high quality color photograph, the one that was haunting his dreams, of Blaine in Sebastian's toned arms, and except this one had red devil horns growing out of Blaine's head. On top, in bold capital letters was the printed phrase: "Ask Sebastian Smythe About Blaine's Cheating, Non-Sexy, Pathetic Ass," and then Sebastian's phone number.

"I'm going to post this up around Dalton, with or without your permission, but I thought you would like to see my top grade work. With this we can start tearing his golden boy reputation down—"

"Alright, good," Kurt said weakly. He flipped the piece of paper over and pushed it over towards Sebastian.

"Good," Sebastian smirked, as he loomed closer, and whispered into Kurt's ear, "Very good, _doll_."

Sebastian's breath ghosted around Kurt's neck, rising goosebumps on the slighter teen's flesh, "Now, go focus on your little play, Kurtsie. Show them what you can do, and when you want someone to make you forget about short stack…" Sebastian roughly squeezed Kurt's thigh, "Call me, and we can have some real fun."

"Is that so?" Kurt attempted to lean back and far away from the newly awakened predator in front of him, who despite a few moments where he surprised Kurt with a few signs of genuine humanity, was still a tricky slime ball.

Someone who was capable of hurting him, even though he was leading the "I hate Blaine Anderson club." And Kurt was still a fox, a messed up wreck, but a fox neither the less who could smell trouble wafting from Sebastian's direction.

"Yep, Kewpie. I'm so damned good that I can make you forget your own name," Sebastian purred.

Kurt grabbed ahold of his original coffee cup, still with a good amount of cold mocha remaining, "You should remember, that I'm not Blaine…."

He upturned his drink over Sebastian's head, "you're tired, old lines will not work on me. Whatever you want to do to Blaine is your business…just leave me alone. You owe me _that_, Smythe."

"Smooth move, _player_," Zach catcalled, "Mr. Nonfat Mocha totally creamed ya ass."

With that Kurt, stormed out, not even caring to gloat as Sebastian tried to scrub his face clean from the light brown liquid. Sebastian wasn't his problem; he had enough to deal with, thank you very much. As Kurt got into his Navigator, he missed the familiar looking Nissan Sentra and the Jew-Fro teen with glasses, who was kneeling in the bushes, in front of the Lima Bean with a camera loaded with pictures, of Sebastian Smythe whispering into Kurt's ear.

Jacob Ben Israel had seen Kurt dump his coffee over the other teen's head, but it was the pictures of another boy, _another Dalton boy_, trying to make a move on a compliant Kurt Hummel, that were going to cause a uproar.

And Jacob Ben Israel loved a scandal more than anything, because it was only time anyone would bother with him. Due to the fact that this incident involved Kurt Hummel of all people, Rachel Berry (his future wife, after he got rid of Finn Hudson-Hummel of course, and sex goddess) would have to talk to him, right?

_Right._

* * *

Burt Hummel knew Kurt was trying to hide something from him. _Again._

He thought that they already had this conversation last year.

Kurt wasn't supposed to lie, or pretend that he was the adult or try to protect Burt from the hard realities of his life. Kurt agreed to having an honest and open dialogue with him or Carole for now on when he had a problem.

Burt got it. Kurt wanted to fight his own battles. He wanted to shield the people he loved from any harm. His son was mature, loving, protective, loyal, and strong (no matter what some inbred rednecks insinuated). Just like his mother. Above all else, Burt was proud of Kurt for being himself in his screwed up town; for he knew if he had to spend one day in Kurt's shoes, he wouldn't hack it.

There were some things kids didn't want to talk about with their parents. Not bad things, just personal things. Burt knew he never shared how far he really got with Liz before their wedding (or the fact Liz was 5 weeks along with Kurt) or the few times he smoked a few blunts by the lake with his footballs buddies.

_Sometimes kids gotta to experiment to figure stuff out on their own, and learn. But I don't think that's what going on here._

_Something is wrong._

_And that something has to do with that Anderson boy._

_Since I can't find my shotgun anywhere._

Burt never liked Anderson. He didn't like the fact that the first time he saw the boy he was drunk and in his son's bed. He didn't like the first conversation he had with the said boy was about pressuring him to have a sex talk with his son. He didn't like that Anderson was too much of a coward to show his son affection in public because Kurt deserved and needed someone as brave as him. He didn't like how much Anderson sucked up to him because that just defined him as a liar in Burt's eyes.

He didn't like a lot of things about Anderson.

Overall, Burt smelled a weasel.

In general, due to managing the garage and running for Congress there hadn't much time for quality conversations. Last weekend was no exception. But Burt was at home on Sunday, and there were several not so comforting things he observed like Finn galloping to the door every time the bell rang and blocking the person from his sight or when Kurt came home he looked so pale and fragile, and skipped dinner to escape into his bedroom.

Signs Burt didn't pay attention to during the reign of terror that was Karofsky, now immediately caused him to raise his guard. Whatever was going on, whether it had to do with Anderson, Karofsky (who Burt still considered a threat, especially because the last time he was in the same room with the kid, he kept looking at Kurt as if he wanted to pick him up, throw him over his shoulder, and take him home so they could have a 'adult ' version of a tea party together…which didn't make any sense since the kid was a complete homophobe, but it worried Burt, a lot) or something else entirely; Burt had to know.

Taking a deep breath, and reminding himself to just man up, Burt trotted down the steps to Kurt's bedroom. He was greeted with a normal scene; Kurt sprawled out on his bed with his laptop, and a cup of warm milk on his bedside table. It was the little details that stood out that made it not "normal", like the tight line of Kurt's mouth or the opened bottle of aspirin by the glass of milk.

Kurt often experienced tension headaches when he was stressed out or upset.

However, the biggest warning bell in Burt's mind was the lack of gabbing with Anderson over the phone or through Skype because this was their "normal" scheduled time.

_Did they break up? Shit, what the hell am I supposed to say? It probably shouldn't include the words "I'm glad." Liz was the one who was good with words, not me. She would know how to comfort Kurt or get Kurt to talk about it. Every time I try, I know I say the wrong thing like the advice I gave about the Sam boy….I try reading those, "so your son/daughter is gay," books but they make things worse….or just don't apply to Kurt's problems._

Kurt looked up from his computer, "Hey Dad," he smiled but there was heaviness to it that didn't sit right with Burt, "everything at the shop seems ship shape. I checked out Mr. Jenson's car…I'm pretty sure that the fan belt just needs to be replaced….."

Burt sat down on Kurt's bed, removing his baseball cap, and tugged on a frayed edge, "That's not what I wanted to talk about, buddy." He swallowed, and the dry, barren feeling in his mouth made it even more different to spit out the following words, "I know I've been busy…but is everything, you know, okay?"

Kurt pressed his fingers to his temple, a gesture so akin to Liz, it made Burt's heart heavy for a few seconds, "There is a part of me that wants to lie to you, dad….and this is hard for me to say," Kurt said slowly, his shoulders slumped and his eyes focused on the floor.

"I'm not ready to go into all the reasons for it, because I think you're going to be pissed at me for my poor judgment…and how weak I've been….but I'm trying to be strong," Kurt looked back at Burt with tears starting to well in the corners of his eyes, "but Blaine and I are through…"

_But you are strong, Kurt._

_And tell me what the short-assed son of a bitch did so I can hunt him down like the rodent he is. _

Burt sighed, this was already showing signs of being a conversation that he didn't feel prepared for or wasn't going to like, and he really didn't like Kurt not telling him everything, but the books said not to demand answers, just slowly ask questions or listen.

The fact that Kurt was telling him something was progress. Burt tried to hold onto that.

"Just tell me what's going on so I can help you," Burt said softly as he continued to manhandle his baseball cap, "That's why I'm here, kiddo. Whatever it is can just be between us."

"Blaine cheated on me with someone from Dalton, but that's not the only reason I decided to call it quits, but it opened to my eyes to the fact that I didn't matter to him-mm…" a few tears were now flowing down his cheeks, and then Kurt fiddled with his sleep shirt to show off a purple bruise that was starting to turn a sickly shade of green at the edges.

The shape of several fingertips was clearly defined in Burt's eyes.

_That sick fucked piece of shit…just wait, until I get my hands on him and leave a few more permanent marks._

"I refused to get back together with him after I made my decision…and this happened and I can't believe I didn't see this side of him before…._I'm an idiot_…and clearly not ready for a real relationship…"Kurt babbled on as he tried to wipe his tears from his face.

Waves of fury were in full sway in Burt's mind, but he pushed them away. Burt could understand Kurt had tried doing the mature thing in this situation, but he was ashamed that he missed all the signs (and Burt did want all the details soon) but love…love can be blinding, and he could see that it wasn't Kurt's fault.

For how many adults continued to live in a destructive relationship, despite the consequences?

This wasn't the time to give a lecture, or to find pamphlets about unhealthy relationships. It was a time to listen and to provide comfort, since Burt was pretty sure that this was this first time Kurt had expressed his _true_ feelings about what happened to anyone.

And comfort didn't always require words, which was a good thing in Burt's book.

Burt embraced his son, allowing Kurt to cry on his shoulder as Burt patted his back.

This was something he could do right, until he could make the wrong that Anderson did go completely away.

_Thank god, I've never told Kurt about my other gun, the gun I have no problem using if Anderson touches my son again or just looks at him funny._

_Because no one fucks around with a Hummel, especially not my son._

* * *

**A BIG GAY CHEATING AFFAIR **

**October 4, 2011. 10:12pm**

_There had been rumors circulating that Kurt Hummel, senior and member of New Directions, has broken up with Blaine Anderson, senior, lead male soloist of New Directions, and former Dalton Academy student, for unknown reasons. However, Hummel was discovered cozying up to an unknown Dalton Academy student at the Lima Bean, this afternoon. Kurt Hummel must really have a fetish for boys in a uniform or missed spreading his legs for all the curious, desperate males trapped in a male-only bubble._

_It unknown how long this "affair" has been going on, but now the brokenhearted Blaine Anderson can confront his ex-boyfriend and move on with his life. _

_More information will be posted when available._

**_-Jacob Ben Israel_**

Blaine sensed an opportunity for him to grab.

Based on the photograph posted along with the article, it was obvious to Blaine's eyes that nothing was going on between Kurt and Sebastian (_Kurt and Sebastian, what a laughable idea…indeed. Sebastian does look like he wants to devour Kurt, but that has to be just the camera angle, something Israel added, or maybe Sebastian's coffee was spiked with brandy.)_ However, it was just suggestive enough to make people believe it was the case, especially since it was Kurt who was involved.

_And now if I just play this right, everyone will be on my side and Kurt will be completely rejected. It was rather annoying that slutty pair of…lesbians (or whatever they wanted to label themselves)….attacked me today and defended Kurt. Didn't they along with Puck get the memo, that I'm the important one, the star of New Directions, not that pipsqueak?_

_I know, I just know that one of them is responsible for ruining my car._

_I'll forgive them, because I'm the bigger and better person._

_Once this information spreads through the grapevine, I know that they'll view things my way and completely forget about Kurt. _

_And confess…or maybe I can just blame Kurt for it…he is the one that knows his way around a car. _

_But first, I need to send a few bees out into certain bonnets._

**Best Duet Partner:** OMG, Rach, just OMG…I don't want to believe that it's real but it keeps staring me in the face, mocking me with its existence and punching new holes in my heart. Check out Israel's newest blog post…I think it's quite clear that real reason the love of my life broke up with me was because he was cheating on me with a current Warbler, our competition.

I'm such a mess…right now.

Blaine hummed as he finished looking over his resume for NYADA, making sure all of his starring roles and solos were highlighted, before sealing the envelope. He never told the truth about his_ real_ plans for college. Kurt was his competition, a laughable one, but still a possible threat so he couldn't be told. Though Blaine knew he wasn't competing against Rachel for a spot; he didn't feel right confiding in her. Rachel was talented, the best after him in Lima, Ohio, but there was still a huge gap between their abilities. He could see her working in Chicago or maybe Branson, but the Broadway stage was never for her. It was kinder not to build up her false hopes in the long run.

Soon, Rachel and everyone else, would recognize that he was the only talent that Lima, and the whole state of Ohio had to offer once Blaine received his finalist letter…and the poor wretches would be left behind.

Blaine walked over to his full length mirror, and began to practice the proper broken hearted tone of voice and the sympathy inducing facial expressions for his new role as poor cheated upon soul. Not that Blaine doubted he had to work too hard, Rachel and the rest of the New Directions were all pretty gullible but he couldn't afford to get lazy. Soon, they would all play into his hands.

Kurt knew the truth but Blaine didn't care about getting him back right away. He always had Thad if he got too horny and Blaine knew with a little effort he could seduce Sebastian back (the bastard was just playing hard to get). With complete control and influence over all the people in Kurt's life, Blaine could turn the screws until Kurt came crawling back on his knees, groveling for forgiveness

He smiled at that lovely image.

Kurt wasn't talented. He was rather odd looking in Blaine's view, and he possessed an annoying personality. But Kurt was good at the one thing that did matter; Kurt always took such good care of him. Blaine needed—_no he deserved_—to be doted on hand and foot. No one else did that well as Kurt, because he was so starved for affection and love he would do anything—forgive anything.

In a few years, Blaine just knew he was going be America's new darling, taking the entertainment world by storm. Kurt had to understand that his talent and his looks gave Blaine the right to do as he wished and have sex with whomever he wanted. While Kurt's place was to stay at home, away from the limelight, and waiting for Blaine to return.

Again, such a nice mental image. Blaine broke out one last wicked smile before focusing on his ability to cry on demand, which this role required to be believable. Though it was difficult, because nothing devastating ever happened to him. Blaine, as an Anderson, always got what he wanted, no matter the price others had to pay while he remained sheltered from the possible consquences.

The Sadie Hawkins incident, for example, didn't happen. It was just a complete fabrication for garnering attention and sympathy from the other Dalton students. A lie helped that built the foundations for his career in the Warblers, getting laid, and worming his way into Kurt's life in the first place.

A few more lies and tricks, Blaine knew that he would be back in; Kurt wasn't strong enough to resist him or fight back.

Kurt could barely handle that chubby, pathetic, lovesick caveman, after all.

_Therefore, there is no way that he can win against me._

* * *

Kurt didn't make it to his locker that morning; two pairs of hands grabbed him and pushed him into the first empty classroom.

When he looked at his kidnappers, Kurt it was surprised to see not a few of his favorite jocks but Rachel…and _Finn_? At breakfast, when Finn didn't poke out his head Kurt had assumed he was still asleep or possibly sick. Carole had made her famous blueberry pancakes, after all. The idea of his stepbrother having the ability to wake up early and surprise him like this was almost frightening.

Observing Rachel clearly displaying, her "manically serious" face with her hands on her hips, Kurt quickly determined that this wasn't going to be a friendly little chat. After last night, crying in his dad's arms, and letting go of some of the pain that had been bottled up in his chest, which lead to falling asleep into a restful, dreamless, early slumber, Kurt had a glimmer of hope for today.

Apparently, that was deluded and wishful thinking on his part.

"I want know how you can do this…**_betray us_**, and **_Blaine_**," Rachel said furiously, and under the pure fury Kurt heard a chord of something truly broken in her voice, "This**_ isn't_** the Kurt I know." She gave Kurt a disgusted once over and flared her nostrils, "This **_isn't _**my best friend."

"I thought you were a romantic in love with love, not a **_dirty cheater_**."

"…." Kurt for once was left speechless, _what the hell has Blaine have been saying now? And really Rachel, classy to be pointing the finger at me when I'm quite sure the mirror on the wall, wouldn't say you're the purest of them all_. He turned to look at Finn, who was lazily spinning the planetary mobile with his fingertips, he told Finn basically the truth…he thought his stepbrother would stand by his side. _They were "bros," right?_

Finn focused on him, his eyebrows screwed up in a dopey but still confused expression, "Man, I know what you told me, but like…" Finn shrugged his shoulders sheepishly," you didn't seem that broken up about it, but Blaine was like crying and buckets…and it was really hard to watch."

"And then he said you and this Simon Bastille guy-"

"Sebastian Smythe," Rachel automatically corrected, as she still glared at Kurt as if he was a rabid vampire that needed to be staked in the heart.

"Right, this guy…Blaine, and you went to this gay bar a while ago…and I guess you got drunk and were all over…Sebastian. And that's when Blaine thinks this whole cheating thing started, even though he knew that night it was just because you were drunk and forgave you."

"_I don't drink_, _Finn_. _You know that_," Kurt sputtered as he attempted to not to reach over and strangle Finn and Rachel for believing this garbage. _And really, Blaine, you couldn't think of anything more original than twisted versions real life events? If I was the criminal mastermind, at least my schemes would be more creative than this drivel._

Finn genuinely considered that idea for a moment, before Rachel sharply nudged his side with her elbow," You did that one time. And there are photos of you and the prep together so…its kind of _obvious _what happened, Kurt."

"Photos?"

"Please drop the _innocent_ act," Rachel snapped as she and Finn moved to corner Kurt, "It's very transparent. I hope you have the decency to at least to tell us what you spilled to Smythe, so we can prevent further damage to our chances at Sectionals."

Kurt wildly looked back and forth between Rachel's and Finn's faces when he saw how seriously they believed Blaine's new fables, Kurt did the only thing that a sane person could do under the circumstances; he ran away.

Dashing through the hallways, Kurt headed to the computer lab, for besides talking to Blaine (which was not happening), there was only one other source of hot gossip that was centered on his rotten love life. If he was going to fight against these rumors, Kurt needed to be educated on what exactly was being said.

Running into battle misinformed, was never a good idea, especially if you were fighting alone.

And Kurt wasn't sure what he was going to do when he ran into Jacob Ben Israel, but for once violence seemed like an appropriate course of action, because Kurt knew that sad, revolting (he had never forgotten the whole Jacob eating discarded slushie from his shoulders incident) sack of a human being was involved in ruining his life.

* * *

"This is for everyone that has ever been cheated on," Blaine exclaimed as he shoot a vulnerable puppy dog glance to Kurt tempered with (fake) outrage before starting to sing, "It's Not Right, But's Okay," by Whitney Houston.

It was complete _bullshit_. Once again, Blaine was playing the role of victim to perfection. Kurt understood how Finn and Rachel had fallen into Blaine's clutches. They could be overly emotional creatures at times, therefore, easy to deceive. Kurt just didn't expect everyone else to go along with these new accusations without even talking to him about it. There was the picture on Jacob Ben Israel's blog; it was real, unlike the photoshopped masterpieces of Jacob with Rachel in certain sexual positions, but it was just a picture of Sebastian whispering into Kurt's ear. Nothing more, nothing less.

Kurt still hadn't found Jacob Ben Israel, but that just gave him more time plan to plot the perfect revenge but it didn't take long to figure out what happened.

_But I have a picture too…_

Kurt really didn't want to stoop to Blaine's level. And Sebastian had made it clear he was going to start posting it around Dalton, though there was a chance he might not since Kurt dumped coffee over his CW hair.

However, as Kurt surveyed the room, noticing how his "friends" reacted to Blaine's proclamation and song, Kurt was sorely tempted.

Artie was enthusiastically busting out moves in his chair, and bobbing his head along with the music, when he wasn't glowering at Tina. Rachel, Quinn and Finn were sending supportive smiles in Blaine's direction. While Rory looked extremely confused and ready to raise his hand once the song was over, but that was his normal state of being.

Mr. Schuester was of course watching with a gleeful smile, his hands clapping along with the beat, not even bothering to look in Kurt's direction. He could be oblivious about the message of the song, and who was the intended recipient, but Kurt didn't think his curly haired glee teacher could be that dumb. It was more likely Mr. Schuester was turning a blind eye because Blaine was a star, and the glee club needed him. _Not Kurt._

_This feeling like I'm in the freaking Twilight Zone, and I'm the only one that can see the gremlins tearing apart the plane._

_I guess this is what he meant by making me 'pay' for rejecting him; Blaine has decided to humiliate me in return and take away my friends. Take away the only things that mattered to me._

There were some outliners who were at least attempting to resist the call of the evil siren's call

Tina and Mike appeared to be genuinely shocked and worried; Tina kept shooting him concerned glances and Kurt felt that she and Mike might give him a chance to tell his side of the story. To the left of him, Kurt heard Brittany say with horror, "That's wrong. Why is he lying?" Santana said nothing, but she was busily removing something shiny that had been embedded in her hair.

_"Was it really worth you going out like that, tell me, oh!"_

_See I'm moving on_

_And I refuse to turn back, yeah_

_See all of this time, I thought I had somebody down for Blaine._

_It turns out, you were making a fool of me, oh." _

It was these lyrics that cut through Kurt's armor assembled from designer clothes, his skin, and then into his heart.

_Well since I met you I thought that I finally had somebody "down" for me, who got me, who would stand by my side, and would be someone I could always trust. You preyed on my dreams, and showed me only what I needed to see. You made a "fool" out of me, and then turned the tables when I finally had the strength to leave you, to paint me as the villain with a black hat._

_Unless within the last twenty minutes, I have magically acquired a new surname, I'm still a Hummel._

_And you don't push the Hummels around…and get away with it. Not even fucking Blaine Anderson has that magical ability. _

Kurt looked up at Blaine, and was greeted with a cruel sneer. In response, Kurt mouthed, "_Fuck you," _before rummaging in his bag for his folder of sheet music. He felt a hand on his shoulder, Noah's large, thickly calloused hand, as he continued to search for what he wanted. Kurt bristled at the touch, and shrugged it off.

Kurt didn't want to be comforted, maybe later, but right now he wanted to duel. Blaine was the one who brought their issues to glee club, and if he expected for Kurt to lie down and take it; he was sorely mistaken.

_Sorely mistaken. _

As Blaine finished up his song to applause, Kurt found what he wanted. He bought the music on a whim, after an argument with Blaine about the presence of Sebastian at their coffee dates. His concerns were labeled as "unfounded" and proof that Kurt didn't "trust" him. At the time, Kurt had meekly gone along with Blaine's statements even though on the inside he was emotionally conflicted by Blaine's insistence that Sebastian was only a great friend, nothing more

Kurt had felt guilty because he didn't want to be a controlling, insecure, and demanding boyfriend.

_Now, I know that was never the case with Blaine at the wheel in our relationship, since he had that role down pat._

Kurt had been in a very foul mood, when he entered Between the Sheets, and he had come away with this particular song. Kurt didn't think it was that well known, so people would be surprised and…it would take Mr. Schuester a few minutes to stop him.

_Maybe it's offensive and a little bit crude, but it expresses exactly what I need to say, and isn't that the whole point of glee club?_

Before Rachel could volunteer to go next, Kurt said coolly, "I also have a piece ready, Mr. Schue…and it truly _compliments_ Blaine's message."

Blaine looked delightfully taken aback, as he claimed a seat next to Rachel and Finn. Mr. Schue looked at Kurt owlishly (Kurt admitted, it had been awhile since he been vocal in participating, supporting Blaine had been his main focus, instead of preparing his own assignments)

"Sure, go ahead, Kurt…" Kurt flashed him a fake smile, after this…he doubted Mr. Schuester

would want anything to do with him. He got up from his seat and handed over the music sheets to Brad who was already sitting down at the piano. Brad quirked a single eyebrow as he looked over the lyrics, but he was good enough to say nothing.

Kurt stood in the center of the room, with his shoulders slumped; his hands clasped together, and designed a temporary mask of a desperate boy who wanted his boyfriend back.

_Let them think that this is an apology._

He didn't bother to introduce the piece or the reasoning behind it. Kurt just waited for the music to begin.

And then Kurt sang:

_"Sometimes I can be perfectly sweet  
Got this sugary me stuffed in my sleeve  
And I talk of ponies and rainbows and things,"_

Brittany started to softly clap at the mention of "ponies, and rainbows," and Kurt beamed a smile in her direction.

_"And I'm just who you want me to be"_

_That's right, I have played the roles that you'll have assigned me: the loyal stepbrother, the protective and sassy best friend, and the patient and understanding boyfriend. Well, I hate to inform you but I'm done. I'm done silencing my voice so others can be heard. I'm done not being myself so I can get your approval._

_I want my voice back. I want to be Kurt Elizabeth Hummel without being punished. _

_I want to be free, and now I'm finally ready to fight for my freedom._

"_But like most creatures down here on the ground  
I'm composed of the elements moving around_  
_And I grow and change and I shift and I switch  
And it turns out I'm actually kind of a __**bitch.**__"_

Kurt empathized the last word, his lips curved up in a sharp grin; there was nothing wrong with being a bitch, and it was better than being someone's whipping boy.

_"But that only happens when I get __**provoked**__  
By some piece of shit asshole we all sadly know."_

"Kurt, _language_…" Mr. Schuester warned.

Kurt didn't care to heed him.

_"And I sit and I write while reminding you all  
That mean songs are still better than going postal"_

As the chorus broke, Kurt started a slow ball-step chain, swaying his hips to the beat as he pointed to Blaine and then Rachel in turn when the right "descriptive term" came up in the lyrics.

_"And that guy's an __**asshole**__  
That girl's a __**bitch**__."_

Rachel let out wounded gasps, as if Kurt just shot her in the chest, and buried her face in Finn's shirt. Finn's mouth was open, the bottom jaw nearly reaching the floor, and Blaine was staring at Kurt as if he was some new species of disturbing, poisonous beetle. Quinn looked up from filing her nails, to send an icy glare in Kurt's direction.

"This is not _okay_; you're experiencing strong emotions right now, Kurt, but there is no need to attack others," Mr. Schuester was still attempting to reason with him, that was a good sign he might get a chance at actually finishing the whole song. Unless he was tackled to the ground and had his lips shut with duct tape, Kurt wasn't going to stop. Even in that situation, he would at least attempt to hum a few bars:"

_"Baby it's natural  
No gettin' away from it  
So sing it out with me  
And then let it go  
__**Fuck**__ that guy he's just an asshole  
Oh-asshole  
Asshole  
Asshole,"_

Mr. Schuester was shouting now, but Kurt tuned him out. Now, he changed his tone to something sickingly sweet, similar to poisoned honey as he continued on to the second verse:

_"I see I've __**surprised**__ you with some of my words  
And I know that surprises, while fun, still can __**hurt**__  
And I __**hate **__to think that I ruined the day  
Of the dick and the queen of the high horse parade."_

Kurt sauntered into Blaine's space, looming over the shorter teen, with barred teeth:

_"But I'm__** sick**__ and __**tired**__ of your poisonous ways  
You're toxin wasting perfectly good space  
__**And I say what I think**__  
'Cause it's more economic than drugs or a __**drink**__."_

By this point, Kurt was sure, Mr. Schuester had given up on getting him to stop. With a lighter step, he finished his song without interruptions:

"_That guy's an asshole  
That girl's a bitch  
Baby it's natural  
No gettin' away from it  
So sing it out with me  
And then let it go  
__**Fuck**__ that guy he's just an asshole_

_And I won't let him in  
Under my skin  
You're a __**sad sack**__ of__** shit**__  
That's __**pathetic**__  
Just a festering sore  
__**Who will never be more than that**__  
If I don't let it_

_And that guy's an __**asshole**__  
That girl's a __**bitch**__  
Baby it's natural  
No gettin' away from it  
So sing it out with me  
And then let it go_  
**_Fuck that guy; he's just an asshole."_**

When Kurt finished bellowing out the last note, he was faced with the pale, shocked faces of everyone in glee club. Well, not quite _everyone_. Noah had his phone out capturing his performance and Santana was starting up a slow clap, seconded by Brittany (hers was a more rapid, excited clap).

"Principal's office, **now**," Mr. Schuester ordered with one hand rapidly running through his hair and the other hand on his hip.

Kurt didn't look at his teacher, he simply held up his hand, and smirked, "_One minute_. I'm not done _expressing _myself."

"You can all believe whatever the hell you want about me, because your opinions mean nothing when I know the truth," Kurt curled his hands up into fists, and beat then against the sides of his thighs, as he stared down Blaine, until the shorter boy was forced to look away from the heat in Kurt's gaze, "**I'm not the cheater. I'm not the liar here**. I'm not going to try to prove my innocence because I shouldn't have to if you'll were my _real_ friends."

Gesturing to everyone (though he sent a sad glance instead of a furious glare to Noah, Tina, Mike, Brittany, and Santana), "I'm done with glee. **For good**."

Finn opened his mouth and then closed it, but Kurt could tell the conversation was far from over with his step-brother. However, that's why they invented locks, to keep people away. He would just have to live in the basement for a while,

"Wait, Kurt," Rachel ran over and grabbed his arm, "You can't do this to us, I mean…without you we can't compete in Sectionals, which must be this Sebastian's nefarious plot to prevent me—_New Directions_— from winning."

Kurt casually removed Rachel's hand off his arm, while Santana cackled in the background. He picked up his bag, and said, with a disinterested shrug, "Maybe if you bribe her with enough Cadbury eggs, you can get Lauren back. Not really _my_ problem anymore."

"Have fun with your next _best gay_," Kurt jerked his thumb in the direction of Blaine, "and by the way, I have always hated that "endearment."

Rachel turned on her Bambi eyes, the ones that were almost as effective as Blaine's puppy pout, "Kurt, please don't be this way…"

Kurt ignored her and the scowls Artie sent his way.

"This is a team effort, Kurt. I know sometimes you feel underutilized in our performances, but your contributions, in regards to supporting the leads are just as important. Your teammates have always had your back and respected your talent…" Mr. Schuester started to say before Kurt cut him off.

"I know I'm going to get suspended for contradicting for you but parts of that are just complete **_lies_**. This is a place for underdogs to have a sanctuary but you have allowed it to turn into the Rachel and Blaine show…and I can't deal with it anymore." Kurt walked over to the door, "If you respected me _at all_, Mr. Schue, you wouldn't have allowed Blaine to humiliate me."

"And Blaine, I think you need to have a conversation with your Warbler friends, _real soon_, because I know _Seb_, has been posting up a certain_ picture _all around Dalton…"

_That could be a lie, but based on the trapped bunny expression on Blaine's face, he believes it at least._

With a pointed pivot, Kurt stormed out of the choir room, not even taking in the shocked, gaping goldfish expressions of the other glee club members or the wolf-whistle coming from the direction of Noah, accompanied by the whoop of, "Now, that's a classy badass!"

_Well, now that I have basically committed a form of social suicide, because based on what I understand, since my name isn't Rachel Berry, Finn Hudson, or…Blaine Anderson, I'm going to be punished for speaking my own mind instead of being good and complacent with whatever attention or compassion that people are generous enough to give me._

_Frankly, I don't give a damn._

_I been involved with glee club since its inception; I performed in that mind-blowingly embarrassing performance of "Push it," (where Rachel forced me to wear that hideous fanny pack against my will), I tolerated Mr. Schue's general ineptitude and creepy obsession with using_ _us in ploys to get the attention of Ms. Pillsbury, helped pull Rachel out of her meltdowns, took a slushie for Finn, and generally given what I could to this group of people that I saw as my family, despite whatever was going on in my life._

_Then Blaine comes in….and most of them fall into line, accepting what he said about me as the gospel truth. Since they deem him as the "acceptable" one, just "one of the guys" while I'm still classified as a "freak" or a "loser" for being myself. Blaine doesn't get bullied here. Blaine has never been slushied. Blaine is the better gay because he doesn't act or sing like a girl. It's unfair, especially since now I don't think Blaine is capable of caring about anyone besides himself._

_But it's fine._

_They can have him._

_I may be imperfect and fragile, but I'm free. _

_Free from their judgments, and expectations._

_And it feels…it feels amazing. _

_There will be consquences. I'm not foolish enough to think I can walk away without a price. Finn is going to be upset with me. Mr. Schuester is going to call my dad. It's not going to look great that I dropped my main activity for my NYADA application (and I need to pick up another class), but maybe, I might have a chance at landing a role in The Tempest, and that will be something. _

_I'm pretty sure I'm going to be alone for the rest of the year, but that's okay._

_In_ _order to have real friends, people who support and love me unconditionally, I need to learn to_ _fully accept myself. Sure, I'm able to project confidence and self-love but it's partly a mask. And I know Blaine had been nibbling away what at little self-esteem I possessed, like terminates infesting an antique cabinet, turning me into what he wanted._

_Whatever happens, whether or not I get a role in The Tempest, get accepted by NYADA, or get the chance to leave Ohio, I need to focus on me, so I can define what makes me happy and remain free._

Suddenly, Kurt found himself surrounded on both sides, with his arms forcibly linked to Brittany on his right, and Santana on his left. Brittany absent-mindly petted his shoulder, and showered him with a brilliant smile (the limit on Dr. Pepper and the regular visits to the dentist was starting to pay off) "You showed them what it really means to be a unicorn."

Santana tossed back her ebony locks, and snickered, "More like, you finally came over to the dark side where you belong."

"Are you apart of the welcoming committee, Satan? Because I need directions to the _banging _chocolate chip cookies and chocolate milk that was described in the brochure. If I'm going be "evil", I might as well get all the perks."

"For you, Prancy Smurf," Santana said with a sly glance, "I'm thinking more on the lines of molten lava cake, and hot men wearing tiny, black leather shorts."

"And fondue," Brittany quickly added.

"If I knew those were the membership benefits, I would have joined ages ago," a genuine smile flickered on Kurt's lips as he brought Brittany and Santana closer with gentle squeezes to their arms.

_Maybe I don't have to be completely alone, after all._

* * *

**Songs:**

Shullcrusher Mountain-Jonathan Coulton

It's Not Alright, But's Okay-Whitney Houston

And Kurt's "Blaine go screw yourself song," Sweet As Whole-Sara Bareilles

The speech Kurt delivers is from Act III of _The Tempest_.

The comment Kurt makes about foxes, wolves, and lions is also a Machiavellian concept. Though I slightly reworded it, the meaning is that one has to be fox (smart, cunning, clever) to avoid plots/traps and also a lion (strong, fierce, combative) to prevent physical attacks from "wolves" aka enemies. So Sebastian was, in his own way, offering to "fight" for Kurt because he understood the reference.

Though honestly, in the version of Glee that lives in my head where each character is an animal, Kurt would be a lynx/ocelot and Sebastian would be a leopard/puma (Santana as a fox, Brittany as a bunny, Puck as a coyote, Finn as a golden retriever, Rachel-a Shetland pony, Tina as a red panda, Mike as a lemur, Burt as an old tom cat or a lion etc ) with Blaine as a hyena because Buffy fans know "they are impure mixture of cat and dog" and you really don't want to be possessed by one.

When it comes to characters like Finn, Artie, Rachel, Quinn, Mercedes etc there will be in more depth explanation of why they are acting the way they are in response to Kurt/Blaine. And Kurt/Sebastian are not the only characters who are going to change and develop.

Finn, in his warped little mind, does care about Kurt here…but this is Finn, and Finn also does whatever Rachel says (in my opinion, based on canon events) and Finn is going to be doing a lot of stupid things, very soon.

And Rachel, there hasn't been much constancy with her character in the show, but she has some good moments, and I'm not bashing her character, but she through the rest of this story is going to logically (not randomly) grow up.

And sorry for the lack of Sebastian's point of view, but certain chapters will be more Sebastian-centric while others might be Kurt-centric, and this chapter is all about Kurt having a break through. Maybe Kurt doesn't trust or understand our favorite meerkat, but I think "we" know what's going on in his head for better or worse.

**R&R, : )**

**Chapter 5:Tricksy Spirit**: in which Kurt becomes an unintentional YouTube hit (thanks to Puck), Sebastian comes up with another plan to "bond" with Kurt, auditions happen, other important characters are introduced (and Zach the barista has an actual purpose besides being perceptive), Sebastian watches videos of New Directions/Kurt's performances on Jacob Ben Israel's blog, and Kurtbastian IMs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Starring Role

**Summary:** Once upon a time, Kurt believed he found his Prince Charming but when he discovers Blaine to be only a manipulative and selfish hobbit, he decides it's time for him to become the star of his own life…instead of a background singer. AU Season 3.

**Rating:** Overall M, but warnings will be posted per chapter when needed.

**Main Ship:** Kurt x Sebastian,

**Disclaimer:** Glee nor its characters belong to me

* * *

**A/N:** To SD…that's just….wow….I guess their name would be Zurt?

And to Coldfire96, I think I used it once or twice, I'm not a big fan of it, and it probably won't happen again : )

**Warning:** Sebastian being Sebastian, Santana being Santana, swearing/sexual comments, mentions of masturbation, bullying, and alcoholism etc.

* * *

**Chapter 5:**Tricksy Spirit

* * *

"My life is a play, is a play, is a play  
My life is a play, is a play, is a play  
Yeah I've been living in the state of dreaming  
living in a make-believe land  
living in the state of dreaming, of dreaming, of dreaming

All I really want is to be wonderful

People in this town they, they can be so cruel

I lice my life inside a dream, only waking when I sleep

If I could sell my sorry soul, I would have it all, "

"The State of Dreaming,"- **Marina and the Diamonds**

* * *

"So, Porcelain is finally leaving the cannibalistic Island of Misfit toys," Sue Sylvester remarked as she casually sauntered over to Will Schuster's side with a cutting smirk, "About time, he woke up and smelled the bullshit in his nonfat mocha."

Will stared at her blankly, as he watched Kurt, along with Santana and Brittany go into Mr. Figgins' office, "This is a private Glee club issue, that doesn't concern you, Sue." He quickly added, "Don't try to use Kurt to further your agenda against me like Santana and Quinn; It's obvious that he is in a _vulnerable place_, right now…he doesn't need you filling his mind with lies and bad advice."

"_William, William_," Sue cackled, "Did the elves, which are currently infesting your curly monstrosity of a hairstyle, finally reproduce? And have their microscopic, parasitic offspring crawled up your ear canal to _completely_ transform your malformed brain into cottage cheese?"

Sue stepped into Will's personal space, pressing a finger into the Spanish teacher's chest, "You should know by now, that Figgins is just an inept figurehead. This is Sue Sylvester's domain; therefore, nothing is actually_ private_ with my legion of covert sources, and cameras."

She stepped away, and said "Sue Sylvester knows all," with a shark-like grin, "I just wish I got to see in person Porcelain bringing down the wrath of Kahn on his ex, the height-challenged imp."

"Of course, you would encourage that sort of behavior," Will darkly muttered as he folded his arms across his chest.

"What's wrong with standing up for yourself?" Sue challenged, barring her teeth," Sometimes in the real world it _requires_ more than a song in your heart, like claws and teeth. And it seems that Special K has finally learned that lesson."

"There is a very distinct line between defending yourself and becoming a bully, and Kurt has crossed it, Sue. We have to do something about this…before…"Will trailed off, as he tried not to look in Sue's eyes but her kiwi-green colored tracksuit with black piping instead.

"Come on now, have the guts to spit it out," Sue leaned in and whispered into Mr. Schuster's ear," Before he turns into me, right? But I don't think that's even the real issue here, William. More like you can't handle his brutal honesty…."

"And being me, is better than you who tries to hide what you are truly capable of under a bad perm, sweater vests, and singing like a Disney princess with forest-dwelling creatures fawning at your feet."

Will Schuester was simply stunned as Sue stormed away, shoving Jacob Ben Israel to the ground, and splattering his cherry slushie all over the floor, in her wake.

Maybe the bald baboon was her current enemy of the week, that Sue was going to (figuratively and possibly literally) squeeze to death in the polls on Friday, but his offspring never was.

_Not really._

And maybe some of her campaign comments hit below the belt, but it was good for sweet Porcelain to develop a thicker skin. Now, Sue had full confidence that she would win, but perhaps there was something she could do to soften the blow for Kurt's sake and punish Will Schuester for feigning innocence, when it came to his own manipulative tendencies, and leaving one of his "not favorites" to fight alone against a cheating, sleaze (Sue didn't just have cameras at WMHS, after all).

Sue smiled; a few freshmen scattered at the sight of it like a herd of gazelle that noticed a lioness circling around their watering hole, as she turned the corner to reach her office.

_One Sue Sylvester is going to make sure that a certain curly haired, butt chinned Spanish teacher regrets the day he drove away Kurt Hummel from his infuriatingly stupid glee club. _

* * *

Kurt Hummel had been sentenced to an hour of counseling with Miss. Pillsbury once a week, until his "anti-authoritarian attitude changed and he apologized to Mr. Schuester and the rest of the glee club for his behavior"

There was a part of him (the left lobe, specifically since it was the one filled with lovely, delicious chunks of logical goodness) that realized he should be grateful, since this was the second time he pulled a stunt where he had been disrespectful to a teacher. He could have been suspended.

His chances of getting accepted at NYADA would have decreased from 11% to 5% with a mark like that on his record.

Kurt, for a few seconds, considered _possibly_ apologizing for being rude to Mr. Schuester (not Blaine or Rachel, _not ever_)…since he was interceding on his behalf (_for once_).

However, Mr. Schuester had to keep on talking.

"This is the first time Kurt has been in a serious relationship," a statement that made Mr. Figgins uncomfortably shift in his seat, " and when we are young, we don't want to accept the fact that we made a mistake that's hurt someone we care about. I feel Kurt took out his anger that was meant for himself out on the nearest group of people. By talking to Miss. Pillsbury, he can work through his emotional issues…"

_He's basically calling me emotionally disturbed, isn't he?_

…"and we can nip this bullying behavior in the bud, before anyone else gets hurt, right Kurt?" Mr. Schuester smiled and made a move to pat Kurt's shoulder.

Kurt twisted away at the last second. He wrapped his arms tightly around his chest, and couldn't help but to physically shake in his fury.

Mr. Schuester continued on for a few more minutes, but Kurt stopped listening and just stared at the numerous ring marks on Mr. Figgins' cheap plywood desk, as his hands clenched his sides, to the point he could feel his nails digging through the several layers of fabric.

_ How dare you even insinuate that's what I was doing! After everything, I have gone through at this…hellhole, I'm the monster because I said what I think? Because what came out of my mouth wasn't sweet and accepting of my place?_

_Fuck you, Mr. Schue for being such a hypocrite._

_Fuck you, Mr. Schue for never helping me for all those times I was being thrown into the dumpster…right in front of you._

_Fuck you, Mr. Schue for only seeing what you want to see._

_And fuck you, for thinking I was the one that "made the harmful mistake" in my failed relationship. I thought when Blaine was singing, you were just obvious about the situation, as always. I really need to stop giving people the benefit of the doubt. So thanks for your "unbiased" opinion as always. _

_I believe that the DSM-5 would argue that Coach Sylvester is suffering from several mental illnesses and personality disorders but…in her own twisted way she is still a more fair person than you. _

_So just fuck you, because I'm not apologizing to you or returning to glee club. Never. Even it means be stuck with Miss. Pillsbury for the rest of the year (though I admit talking to a professional about my relationship with Blaine was something I wanted to do, but I doubt I can trust her with any of my private information or she will be that helpful.)_

"Mr. Hummel, is there anything you want to add?" Kurt's head popped up at the sound of Mr. Figgins' lightly accented voice.

Looking at the expectant glances coming from Mr. Schuester and Mr. Figgins, Kurt cleared his throat before snapping, "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. If you wanted to be deceived into thinking I'm the problem child here…fine. Now, have a nice day."

Before he could be drawn back into another lecture about "respect" since clearly that wasn't what they wanted to hear, Kurt marched out Mr. Figgins office, with his messenger bag violently swinging by his side.

* * *

Sebastian was tired.

It was an understatement really. Sebastian didn't tend towards hyperbole unless it allowed him to win an argument, but at the moment, it felt like his very bones were made out of solid lead, and he didn't possess the strength to lift himself from the couch in the senior commons.

Tuesday was his most jammed packed day; early lacrosse practice at 6:30am, and a required Warbler meeting right after his last class (AP Physics….he managed to take a nap then, but it was clearly not enough, especially not after having to practice those tedious dance moves, over and over again since Trent and Nick couldn't perform them at the level he required).

_Whose fucking brilliant idea was it to have practice that early? _

_Me. _

_Great decision-making skills there, Sebastian._

_Well, at the time I did assume the benefit would be to have my afternoons free to pursue the physical activity I prefer. I really didn't think that one through, not that it matters now, since I'm somewhat " grounded" and I'm pretty sure Evangeline put a GPS tracker in my car or my phone. _

_So my only options of having a social life are staying here or going to the Lima Bean, where Evangeline's coffee jockey of a best friend, who she goes to University of Lima with, can "keep an eye out on me." _

_After Princess left me yesterday, that…Zach Licht (who calls me my by coffee order, and keeps making goo-goo eyes at my sister, not like he's good enough to brew her coffee), amused himself taking pictures of me covered in coffee which he properly sent to Evangeline._

_She still can't stop laughing._

_Fuck you very much, dollface. _

_I'm definitely done chasing after that…pathetic gayface. I'm a Smythe, there is no need to put up with that crude behavior. Even though Hummel was so fucking hot, the split second before he dumped his drink over my head._

_I really didn't see that coming, I mean I followed my four step plan to the letter:_

_1) Pay for a drink/snack_

_2) Give honest feedback/compliments to build a rapport_

_3) Throw his ex under the bus (not like it's that hard) _

_4) Make a move_

_The expected result: hot car sex or at least a decent make out session on the hood of my car._

_Except I forgot to factor in the variable that Kurtsie is a freak of a nature, who doesn't respond normally to any of my tried and true tactics. _

_The weirdo can just go fuck himself; I'm done with his crazy shit._

_I seriously don't have the energy for it. _

Sebastian leaned further back and stretched out his legs down the length of the leather couch. His life would be so much easier if he could just drop lacrosse. The only good part of the stupid sport was he could hit someone that annoyed him with his stick and he could totally get away with it. Sebastian smacked Thad 's shins several times that morning in response to him saying he was lying about Blaine (though he was majority pissed about the coffee blitz attack, Sebastian felt it was sort of his good deed of the year to post up those flyers and he wanted to see the faces of Blaine's fans crack into despair…and maybe they would stop comparing him to Bowtie when they saw how morally bankrupt their idol truly was.).

He probably made an enemy out of Thad now, but the other boy was rather pathetic and far from a legit threat. He couldn't keep up with his insults, not like anyone really could.

_Except for Kurtsie…_

Sebastian's lips started to curl at the thought of the slender brunette. Immediately, he shook his head, as if he could erase the other boy's presence from his mind like a doddle on an etch-a sketch.

Rubbing his hand against his thigh, trying to remove the knots still present in the muscle, and not irritate the old ropey scar tissue that still remained as a reminder of **the accident,** Sebastian sighed.

_My body also hates lacrosse._

Due to the whole Abbot Academy incident with the headmaster's son (which wasn't really his fault…Pierre just kept following him around and he just pitied the guy, along with the fact he had been _really _horny that day) Sebastian had to present an image that he was now some all-around American Boy Scout who saved kittens stuck in trees and other goody two-shoes shit, and sports supposedly were a key part of pretending to be a well-rounded student/person.

And Sebastian would pretty much do anything to make sure he was accepted at Columbia University or Dartmouth College.

There was also the high social status that came from being a Captain of a sport that Sebastian liked. Still, it didn't seem to be worth all this effort. Sebastian was at this point (desperately) considering doing some community service instead, because that had to be less physically demanding and maybe get Evangeline off his case for being so "misanthropic."

Sebastian couldn't help the fact he didn't want to waste his time with self-centered imbeciles, and that seemed to be the only people that existed in Ohio. Anyway, it wasn't exactly "hatred" but a bland disinterest or contempt that Sebastian held for most individuals, except if the person in question could provide him with sex or help him achieve his goals.

Supposedly, his attitude wasn't a normal or healthy to have about other human beings, but it was always better to be the one doing the screwing instead of being the poor son of bitch being screwed.

The fifth tenet that Sebastian lived his life by.

It's not like he hated children or something, if he did, Sebastian might concede to the fact that there was something "wrong" with him. Since kids were fucking awesome no matter what, (in Sebastian's opinion) since the world hadn't turned them into selfish pricks yet.

A soft inner voice piped out in the stewing mass of his brain there was someone (a grown-up person) that he felt differently towards, that Kurtsie was_ unique _and _special_…that Princess won't fuck him over like that… and he didn't exactly want to hurt him either (fuck him only, in a totally sexual sense)

He tried to shake that idea off, but it held onto him like a burr. Images of Hummel talking to him, laughing with him, performing for him…and

_I enjoyed myself with another boy and we weren't even naked._

_This is so not okay._

As he found himself thinking again about Kurtsie, Sebastian came up with the idea of volunteering at that abysmal public school Kewpie attended. There had to be a subject

that Hummel was struggling with, and Sebastian could totally tutor him…and they could become much closer, than whatever any "random" meetings at the Lima Bean could provide.

_I could even reward creampuff when gives me the right answers…and when he makes a mistake I could…_

_NO. NO. NO._

_Stop thinking about that annoying, girly clothes wearing, gayface._

Closing his eyes and thinking about his last conquest before short stack (Sebastian was sure his name was Randy or something that started with a R, anyway) who was the complete opposite of the Princess, Sebastian surgically removed the image of Kurt's doe-eyes, his cute button nose (which was sort of crooked and little too long for Kurt's face…in Sebastian opinion, but it didn't stop him from fantasying about kissing or nibbling the tip, which was seriously wrong on so many levels), his elfin ears, his long ( Kurtsie had surprisingly firm and muscular thighs…from what Sebastian felt the other day) legs and his snow white skin (and if powerpuff's hand was indicative of the rest of his body, his skin was also tantalizingly soft) from his memory.

It seemed to work, and when Sebastian opened his eyes, he focused on the cracks in the ceiling trying to determine if it the picture it formed was more similar to a spider or a duck, and contemplated how wonderful the world could be if there was a way to transport himself to his car without moving.

This state of compete laziness was interrupted a few minutes later, by a loud, and way too bubbly voice, Sebastian knew too well. He couldn't help but to groan into the nearest decorative pillow. Sebastian really didn't have the energy to deal with the hyperactive blonde.

"Seb…Seb…Seb!" Jeff Sterling shouted as he ran into the room, carrying his laptop, "You just gotta see this."

Sebastian generally didn't have a problem with Jeff. He did spend his first week at Dalton trying to convince the junior to take a ride on Smythe Jr…_that hadn't gone well _(Jeff had slapped him across the face repeatedly). Having sex was so much easier in Paris; everyone he met in Ohio, since he returned, was such a prude…

Despite the small set back, Sebastian would have kept on trying with Jeff, until he realized that Jeff and Nick were generally attached at the hip and Nick was the only one that paid attention in AP Physics, so it might be a good idea to be on Nick's good side. Stealing someone's boyfriend, even for one night, tended to lead to negative feelings in Sebastian's experience (even though it was extremely entertaining). Since he backed off and went after that wacked out Golem in disguise instead, "Niff' had been the closest he had to friends. Maybe it had to do with the fact that the pair never compared him to Blaine like the rest of the Warblers (and Nick took the whole not being the Captain with more grace than Sebastian expected). Or how today, Jeff had been the first to second his motion of taking away Blaine Anderson's honorary Warbler status, which gave the boy some balls in Sebastian's book.

"I don't "gotta" do nothing," Sebastian mumbled

Jeff shoved Sebastian's legs off the couch, and popped down on the spot instead, and put the laptop between them so Sebastian could see the screen, _"Gotta,"_ he insisted more firmly.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms, as he looked down at the screen, showing a YouTube video titled: **How to Tell off Your Ex…Like a Boss: Kurt Hummel Stylz.** It had been posted around noon, by someone with the username of Puckzilla, and though it had only been online for three or so hours, it managed to gather more than 2,000 views…

Jeff leaned over, pressed play, and expanded the video before sitting back with a sly smile.

Sebastian has to admit that the camera work was pretty shitty (or the general quality of the said camera was just crappy) but there was dollface in all of his glory, and nothing seemed to take away from that. Clothes were not Sebastian's thing, but black seemed to be the Princess's color; Kurtsie was wearing a distressed/vintage-looking black blazer, paired with black skinny jeans, the usual Doc Martians and leather fingerless gloves (_what the fuck was the purpose of wearing fingerless gloves, anyway?). _The monochrome black ensemble made Hummel's skin glow and look so soft to the touch, like white velvet.

Sebastian wanted to be able to reach through the screen so he could just run his fingers all over Kewpie's face and neck….

It didn't help that Hummel looked so forlorn and…apologetic, with his currently light grey eyes so wide, and his bottom lip obviously chapped. His expression screamed "someone just slayed my puppy and I need a hug." However, that impression didn't last long, when Kewpie started to sing. Sebastian just assumed because none of the other Warblers really mentioned Kurt's singing ability and he wasn't the star of the New Directions; creampuff just sucked.

_Assuming makes an ass out of me._

_Hummel's voice, along with the rest of him, is purely unique. It was probably too difficult for the Warblers to deal with the fact that someone couldn't exactly conform to their style, for Kurtsie would stand out like a sore thumb during their performances._

Not that there was anything wrong with that…it was wonderful in Sebastian's eyes. Since he spent a majority of his life spending time with people exactly like him; just carbon copies that lived in private school bubbles. People with no depth or substance; boys that didn't understand how the world really worked…it was sort of thrilling so see someone reveal in their individuality.

_And now I can see why Blaine went after him. Kurt presented a threat, for no matter how much Blaine tries he can't sing like __**that**__….he can't reach those notes, or have such an ethereal quality to his voice. He can't even provide the same emotional depth. Blaine will never admit it, but I would bet my trust fund, he's scared of Kurtsie., because if given a chance he could outshine him, for he possesses such a beautiful fire burning in his veins._

_God, I just want to pounce on him and make Hummel sing just for me, for I'm pretty sure he can reach higher notes than this. Especially if I was the one slamming into him._

It was when the lyrics became a stream of cursing, and seeing Hummel's face turn from pale to a beet red that showed off his cheekbones and make his eyes burn, as he gestured to what Sebastian had to believe was Blaine, and the annoying female munchkin, that Sebastian realized that Smythe Jr was starting to get _interested_ in the proceedings.

_Dammit, Jeff. Why do you have to be here? _

_I'm going to have to look this up later, when I'm completely alone._

"See? You're not the only one who had a productive Blaine-bashing day," Jeff blew a bubble with his gum before letting it pop, "And it gets even more freaking awesome!"

For once it seemed Jeff was correct, and when the song finished, Kurt verbally "bitch-slapped" almost everyone in the room, like a piranha going after fresh blood.

"It's too bad that Kurtie had to quit his club ," Jeff smacked his gum, as he gave Sebastian a curious once over, "Now that he's not our competition, we can totally hang out with him more, right?"

"Mmmmm," was Sebastian's noncommittal reply, as he exited out of the expanded view to look over some of the comments to the video. There were a few generic "You go, boy" and "Wow, epic fourth degree burn alert" remarks, and then a few that had to be from friends of Kurt:

**_Hockeybearcub17:_** I always knew that mini-Preppie was a douche. I'm glad to see that you kicked him to the curb, Fancy. : )

_What sort of stupid nickname is that?_

**_SamIam_**_:_ So sorry to hear about Blaine. I've been there, so if you can always hit me up if you want to talk.

_Idiotic username._

Then there were the statements that caused Sebastian's eyes to narrow into slits, and worriedly run his hands through his hair, ruining his coif.

Sexy bitch.

_He's not a female dog._

What in their right mind would let a grade A, top choice piece of meat get away like that? The answer is a complete dumbass.

_Why are you quoting from the "villain" of the __**The Wedding Singer**__? You're the dumbass._

Let's see he can sing, is extremely attractive, and can tear someone apart with their words…Kurt Hummel needs to call me.

_No, he doesn't._

Babe Alert.

_Don't objective him; only I can do it that._

Damn, the things that I would do to that boy….

_Like I would let a freak like you near him, because if anyone gets to do anything fun with Kewpie, it going to be me._

**_VACoach_**:…..well, that was interesting. I guess the pasty little ghost boy finally grew up into a badass. There are a few critiques I could give you about your performance but…you would probably stick your fingers in ears or give me a sassy one liner. However, I admit that you're starting to show some talent. Perhaps we will run into each other soon? I certainly hope so ; )

_Wow, what a patronizing bastard. I bet dollface can skin you alive without breaking a sweat. _

The primitive reptilian part of his hindbrain, that always make it so difficult for Sebastian to participate in "sharing time" during preschool, was chanting, "mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine" at the still frame of Kurt's face.

Which Sebastian knew was fucking ridiculous because you can't own another person; he shouldn't feel so possessive over such a…_mediocre, loser_…(_you lying to yourself, Bastian_…a inner voice similar to his sister's crowed in response)

But this line of thinking, of wanting someone (wanting to make it clear that this was _his Kurtsie_) was the antithesis of the life Sebastian had been leading since he came to the conclusion that if there was a god he was a sadistic son of a bitch, and he might as well enjoy himself before becoming worm food, leaving his sister as his only real connection to the world that didn't revolve around sex.

However, Sebastian admitted that he had felt this way before. In kindergarten, there had been a little boy who was always playing dress up with the girls…that he sort of attached himself to. From what he remembered, Cameron was the only one he would allow to play with his toys…and he did end up being his first kiss… (because even back Sebastian knew he had some skills) but Sebastian also recalled getting in trouble for throwing tantrums when someone would pay too much attention to Cameron.

There was also a few incidents when he was ten and Evangeline started bringing home "friends," except they were doing things that Sebastian had only seen their parents do…which wasn't okay because Evangeline would get so caught up with "sucking face" that she would ignore him. Sebastian's response was to bring out his paintball gun and attack the loser or put Nair into Evangeline's shampoo since being bald would sort of prevent her from going out on a date.

Evangeline never seemed to forgive him for the latter action…

Now, looking at Kurt' s face, a rather knee slapping realization hit him.

_Kurtsie is now single. _

_Someone could technically scoop him up, while I'm here moping around not sure what I want...which is completely unacceptable because he is my Kurtsie. _

_Well, not yet…since it's clear we have a few communication issues to work out, and maybe Kewpie doesn't like or trust me. But I can fix that; we just have to spend more time together and bond…._

_What's the one thing Kurt desires above anything, that will prevent him from running away from me?_

_Recognition._

_A chance to perform._

Sebastian smirked.

He silently and quickly closed the lid of Jeff's laptop, before giving it back to the blonde boy, and then he stood up, while his bones seems to creak out in protest.

"Wait, Seb…where are you're going?" Jeff questioned with a slight frown.

"To the Lima Community Theatre, my dear Sterling," Sebastian said over his shoulder with a wink, as he stalked out of the senior commons.

Jeff scratched his head, "Man, I feel like I missed some quantum leap in insano logic…"

* * *

A few minutes before 5:00pm, Sebastian pulled into a nondescript structure on the eastern edge of Lima. Getting out of his car, Sebastian scoffed at the peeling paint, the cracked asphalt of the parking lot, and the missing letters of the theatre's sign (Lima Cum u eat).

_People here are truly…inferior._

Despite his contempt, Sebastian reminded himself of his stratagem, and the importance of reaching his said goal. He walked in and wrinkled his nose at the presence of the bland 1950's architectural vibe. Surveying the small foyer area filled with a few battered benches, and beige discount carpet, Sebastian picked up the presence of three other teenagers huddled together in the far corner. They didn't bother to look up when he entered the room, which Sebastian was perfectly fine with since he could already smell the stench of mediocrity wafting from their direction.

Sitting down, Sebastian pulled out his iPhone and made his way to the online version of Sparknotes. On the car ride over, Sebastian came to the conclusion of what character he should try-out for.

He just needed to find the right speech to quickly memorize, and find a possible song…

_The Tempest_ was the most musical of Shakespeare's plays, though it was Ariel who had the most songs, there was a few other singing parts. Though Sebastian was pretty sure that he would get the part of Caliban, he didn't mind hedging his bets a little.

_Caliban._

Sebastian had to read _The Tempest_ during his sophomore year, and there was a few details that remained fuzzy in his mind about the play. He personally preferred _Othello_ or _Julius Caesar_ over this weird political romance with a side helping of magic shit. But Caliban had been interesting; the type of character that Sebastian loved to play.

Someone that was completely morally ambiguous.

It was a little too simple to label Caliban a "tragic figure." Sebastian could see that in the perspective of Caliban, Prospero betrayed him, majorly. And knowing what type of operator Prospero was (Sebastian had to give the bastard some props for turning everything around, getting what he wanted, and still coming out it as a "hero. He wasn't sure that even he, Sebastian-fucking-Smythe, could achieve that reversal of fortune) he probably did to a certain extent.

So Caliban had some justified anger going on, and Prospero was "pinching" him into his service as a slave. However, Caliban wasn't Ariel.

Ariel wanted to be free to do whatever spirits did, which probably consisted of singing, dancing, and playing tricks.

_Harmless shit._

If Caliban was allowed to be loose, free of Prospero's restraints, and he took control of the island…

He would just indulge his desires of rape and murder…which was **_not okay_**, even by Sebastian's code of relaxed morals.

Maybe Caliban was technically "innocent" when it came to civilized world which allowed him to be tricked by Prospero, Triculo, and Stephano…but he wasn't a true innocent. Not a monster, but a creature that lived in its own world where morality was just not useful.

Or maybe Caliban was just the physically manifestation of Prospero's dark side; his own Id, that he was trying to stop from running amuck on the island. For Prospero did say, " this thing of darkness! Acknowledge mine," when he addressed Caliban's behavior in the final scene and didn't allow Caliban to take any responsibility for his own actions. When Sebastian played Iago, he saw his character as a part of Othello's psyche that splintered off and decided to go full on rouge; he could do that again…

Whatever the case, Caliban only had a hundred lines in the play but he still had a looming, demanding presence, and was too complex to fit any prescribed categories. Something that Sebastian appreciated.

He was distracted from his thoughts, when a middle-aged woman, with dark olive skin, and brown hair threaded with white streaks, pulled up in a messy bun, peeked out from the theatre's double doors, " Brittany S. Pierce."

"That's me!" a blonde girl jumped to her feet, "The most talented Brittany ever."

The woman slightly raised her eyebrow at that remark, and Sebastian shook his head as he tried to hold back a chuckle. When Brittany started to cross the room, she stopped midway, to look at Sebastian and began to excitedly wave in Sebastian's direction.

Sebastian just stared at her.

"Hi there, pegasus!"

_What the fuck?_

Awkwardly, Sebastian waved back in order to get the girl to just leave.

Brittany beamed at him. She twirled on her tip-tops to blow a kiss at the Latina chick she had been hanging all over a few minutes ago before following the middle aged woman into the theatre.

In the corner of his eye, as Sebastian scrolled through his music to find something appropriate to sing, he saw the Latina chick give him a death glare that would have dropped a lesser man into the nearest grave. Fortunately, Sebastian was made up of more durable material.

He shot her and her mohawked companion a smug grin before returning his attention back to his phone.

A few minutes later, Sebastian heard a menacing voice snarl out, "_You_," before what felt like a paperback being smacked against his head. Looking up, he was greeted with sight of the Latina chick, with her hand clutching a copy of _The Tempest_ while the other was resting on her cocked hip.

"You know, _hon_," Sebastian scoffed, "There is no need to get all territorial. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to the possibility of me stealing your girlfriend," he winked, "She's _adorable,_ but she's missing some important equipment."

She just smacked him again. _Harder_, "Believe me, you are no threat to me, Nick at Nite."

"You are to someone that I care about, though" she said in a lower, harsher tone, " Do you recall your Friday night activities with a certain gel haired backstabbing munchkin? I know he was probably pretty forgettable, and you have already whored yourself out to a dozen other desperate men by now, but I know you purposely fucked up my friend's life."

" I'm not okay with that," she cocked her head to the side, and barred her teeth, "And right now, I'm really interested in making you pay by removing an important part of your _equipment."_

" Real_ original_. A castration threat." Sebastian looked her up and down, and folded his hands across his chest, " I can't exactly picture you being bosom buddies with _Kurtsie_. I would believe he would better taste in associates."

She glared, gripping her book more tightly, and hissed, "Don't call him _that_, " the raven-haired girl added, "You don't have the right…after what you did."

"I have seen that photo and all those texts you sent. Maybe Kurt can't see it, but I can tell…your chasing after him. I refuse to stand aside and allow you to make him another notch on your belt and leave him broken."

Sebastian tilted his head to the side, and stroked his chin, "Belts, and Kewpie….sounds like a _fabulous_ idea…"

"You go near Kurt, mess with him in any sort of way, " the annoying bitch roughly growled as she leaned over in order to grab the armrests on each side of Sebastian, "I'll cut off your balls and serve them to Lord Tubbington."

"_So scary_," Sebastian mocked, "You really need to work on your intimidation factor, _hon_, for all I see is a cheerleader type that thinks she is a member of "Bad Company" and believes acting all butch makes her special."

"Or do you just have some serious penis envy issues? There are people you can talk about that with, you know, instead of projecting it onto innocent bystanders."

"_You innocent?_ Don't make me laugh, you cocksu-" she started to swear and gnash her teeth, until she was interrupted by the sound of a door opening, and Brittany pranced over to side of the Latina chick that was all in his business. The blonde perched her chin on the bitch's shoulder, threading their hands together, and rubbing her thumb against the other girl's pulse point.

"Tana, you met the pegasus?"

"_Unfortunately,"_ Tana sneered.

Sebastian was about to ask the dopey blonde what she meant by calling him a damned pegasus and insult Tana in one breath when the middle-aged woman, from before stepped out into the hallway, and asked sweetly" Is there anyone else here to audition that didn't get a chance to sign up?"

Shoving his Iphone back into his pocket, Sebastian got up and gave Tana a slight push to get her out of his path, "Me, Madam," he said with a dulcet smile.

Tana rolled her eyes, before leading her girlfriend away to their poser "tough guy" friend, who was in the middle of doodling on his sneakers and humming, "We Didn't Start The Fire," under his breath. When the woman ushered Sebastian forward, he started to walk toward her. Though he noticed Tana aggressively whispering into the mohawked guy's ear. The overly muscular brute (totally compensating for something) stood up and gave him the evil eye, while Tana mouthed, " _We're watching you, punk."_

"_Bring it on, bitches,"_ was Sebastian's mouthed reply before slamming the door behind him.

Once on the stage, Sebastian gave a quick introduction to the director, Reed Barnes, and his wife (and assistant) Pamela, before starting his monologue.

"**_I must eat my dinner_**," Sebastian began with rasping, and harsh snarl.

"_This island's __**mine**__, by Sycorax my mother_

_Which thou __**takest**__ from __**me**__, When thou camest_**_first_**…" he trailed off, with a wide, innocent look in his eyes, as he looked out into the distance away from the two members of his audience.

Sebastian softly touched his own face and then the tip of his shoulder, he tried his best to add a quiver to his voice:

"_Thou __**stroked**__ me and __**madest**__ much of me, wouldst give me_

_Water with berries in't, and teach me how"_

"_To name the bigger light, and how the less _

_That burn by day and night_;" he pointed upwards to the ceiling,"

_and then __**I loved thee**__."_

Slowly building the outrage in his voice, Sebastian continued, as he gestured to the stage, pointing out invisible features of the island:

"_And show'd thee all the qualities o' the isle,_

_The fresh springs, brine-pits, barren place and fertile:_

**_Cursed be I that did so!"_** Sebastian rudely spat on the floor.

_"All the charms_

_Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, and bats, __**light on you**__!_

_For I am all the subjects that you have,_

_Which first was __**mine own king**__; and here you __**sty**__ me_

_In this hard rock, whiles __**you do keep from me**_

**_The rest o' of the island_**_," _he roared and stamped his feet, as he gestated wildly to an imaginary Prospero,

A he predicted, they asked him to perform a song as well, to be considered for other roles that required singing, which of course was not a problem at all:

"_There's an island hidden in the sound  
Lapping currents lay your boat aground  
Affix your barb and bayonet  
The curlews carve their Arabesques  
And sorrow fills the silence all around  
Come and see_

There's a harbor lost within the reeds  
A jetty caught in over-hanging trees  
Among the bones of cormorants  
No boot mark here nor finger prints  
The rivers roll down to a soundless sea  
Come and see  
Come and see

The tides will come and go  
Witnessed by no waking eye  
The willows mark the wind  
And all we know for sure  
Amidst this fading light  
We'll not go home again  
Come and see  
Come and see

In the lowlands, nestled in the heath  
A briar cradle rocks it's babe to sleep  
Its contents watched by Sycorax  
And patagon in paralax  
A foretold rumbling sounds below the deep  
Come and see  
Come and see

The tides will come and go  
Witnessed by no waking eye  
The willows mark the wind  
And all we know for sure  
Amidst this fading light  
We'll not go home again  
Come and see  
Come and see."

Sebastian smirked; he totally nailed it.

It didn't really matter what part he landed (there was no question of not making it in Sebastian's mind, and he believed he would get Caliban ) because that was not the point of auditioning. Kurt was a shoe-in to play Ariel, Sebastian didn't lie about that (he didn't lie about anything actually to Kewpie), and with the all hours they would log in together during rehearsals…he could wear Kurtsie down with his charm.

He turned on the said "charm" on the director and his assistant, before bowing out.

And if his plan still failed, having a role in a community production would just improve his chances to get into Columbia or Dartmouth. Performing was just a hobby he picked up during his developmental stage of, "I just want to be like my big sister," that he continued when he found out that he actually enjoyed it. It wasn't his life though; he had other interests.

Maybe he wasn't a siren like Blandy, but he was talented in a different way that still allowed him to get what he wanted…

_Hmmm...the male version of a sphinx seems appropriate. Being able to riddle someone to death is far more awesome than controlling people through song. And lions are the king of the jungle after all._

_Also, lions have sex like forty times a day when its mating season, and I'm completely down with that. _

* * *

After a tense family dinner where Finn refused to look at Kurt and was muttering to himself the whole time instead of joining in the normal flow of conversation, Burt walked his son over to the kitchen with a sigh, "I get why you did what you did, bud…but it wasn't the smartest thing to do. And you did hurt some people…people that maybe didn't mean to do the wrong thing, but were only acting on the information they had."

"They automatically assumed I did this, that I cheated, that I-" Kurt spluttered and nearly dropped the dish he was drying.

"Again, how they reacted wasn't right…I'm not trying to defend them, Kurt," Burt ran his hands down his face, before padding over to Kurt's side and put away a few of the already cleaned dishes and cups, "Good people can be tricked…"

_Especially by a guy like Anderson, who knows how to get people to eat out of his hands. It's not like most kids have a decent bullshit meter. _

Kurt snorted, his nostrils slightly flaring, as a tinge of red crawled up his neck. He focused on rubbing the surface of the spoon in his hand over and over again with a washcloth, though Burt was pretty damn sure it was already dry.

Knowing that Kurt was closing himself off, and probably wasn't going to be in the mood to put on his "listening ears." Burt clasped a hand around on of Kurt's shoulder, " Just be careful, kiddo. Don't let your mouth write a check your ass can't cash."

It was saying that his father frequently repeated during his childhood; a warning not be a smart ass. Burt didn't have an issue with Kurt using his words to defend himself or to speak his mind. However, Anderson might. A pathetic punk like that won't be able to handle being humiliated or people trying to find out the truth about the situation.

And Kurt had to remain safe, until Burt could find a way to get rid of Anderson.

Cutting the brakes of his car or shooting the bastard's brains out (unless he did push Kurt around again) wasn't the right answer. However, they were fulfilling fantasies.

Burt walked over the stairwell, rubbing the small of his back, and looked up into Carole's face. Based on the pained expression, he could tell the conversation with Finn hadn't gone much better. He reached out to hold her hand, and sighed deeply.

_Knowing Finn and Kurt…I'm pretty sure our house into going to turn into a warzone._

_Dammit._

* * *

"Come on, you know, you want some of this!" Noah playful taunted as he dangled a bag of pork rinds over Kurt's head.

"I_ want_ to have normal levels of cholesterol and sodium," Kurt said primly as he picked through his salad and pierced a slice of cucumber, that didn't look too funky, with his fork. He then added "And isn't that…" Kurt made a twirling motion with his finger as he ate, "trafe?"

Noah stared at the bag in contemplation for a second, "Kinda. But I can't resist the salty, porky goodness." He fished a pork rind out and threw it up into the air, and easily caught it in his mouth. Brittany clapped at the antic, before returning to nibble on her marconi and cheese, and her drawing of what Kurt thought was two white horses getting it on in a field of pink and green hearts.

She had been working on it all day, and won't stop talking about how, "pegasus is totally hot, and he going to be spending so much time with my happy, happy unicorn." Kurt didn't have the heart to argue with Brittany. However, Santana who usually cooed over Brittany's drawings kept staring at the piece of construction paper as if it insulted her own mother…and she wanted to shred it into thousands of little pieces.

Since that morning, it was obvious that Santana was wearing an eau de parfum of pure rage.

_ First, there was the whole almost clawing out Jacob's face episode when he tried to get a comment from me for his blog (well, maybe he deserved that). She tripped Finn in the hallway just before lunch…_

_And when Brittany suggested dinner at Breadstix, Santana actually said, "No." _

Kurt had attempted to root out the problem, but Santana had responded only with monosyllabic answers or said nothing. Currently, she was just sipping her diet coke and (actually) snarling whenever Rachel or Blaine shot a hostile glance in their direction (which was every two and half minutes by Kurt's watch)

With Brittany and Santana officially leaving glee club, along with Noah stating," Hummel's my homeboy. I don't know about you but I don't leave one of my boys high and dry. Especially when people are spreading garbage that is obviously bull," all four of them were on top of the glee club's hit list.

Kurt was perfectly okay with that (though Tina had texted him and asked if their shopping trip was still on for the weekend, and she then basically invited herself over to have a _Poltergeist _marathon on Saturday. Kurt came to the conclusion he still had one other friend, who just wanted to have a conversation about the "Big Gay Cheating Affair" away from the always watching eyes of Blaine, Rachel, and now ….Finn) because here with the most random assortment of personalities, he felt comfortable…and accepted in a way he didn't expect.

As Noah proceeded to dump a few pork rinds on Kurt's tray over his protests and he finally gave in to temptation (Kurt had a secret junk food addiction, who won't after growing up with his father?), Noah poked his side, "See? Even you can't deny them."

Noah ran a hand through his mohawk," How do you know about Jew stuff, anyway?"

Kurt fondly rolled his eyes as he took a few sips of his bottled water, "Rachel."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Noah mused, " you would listen to her lectures on Jewish philosophy and culture, instead of tuning it out, so you could find a way to get into her pants."

Santana's mouth twisted into a disgusted grimace at the mention of Rachel, but she still remained quiet as she aggressively chased the uneaten (and mushy) peas with her fork across her plate.

"_Exactly, Noah_," Kurt slightly shook his head, " guys only listen to girls if their gay."

Noah chugged down the rest of his Monster drink, and wiping his lips with the back of his hand, "You know what I mean, little dude," Kurt scowled at emergence at this particularly new nickname (but it was better than princess)," Your upstairs CEO was in charge, not the one who lives in the basement. If Rachel was a hot guy…"

"Please don't continue that sentence!"

"Anyway, next time my old-school nana is in town, I should totally introduce you. She would be all over you, " Noah then added before roughly ticking Kurt's sides, "and insist on fatting you up."

Kurt tried to break away from Noah's fingers, he was too busy laughing to _really _try.

Kurt didn't see Blaine stare at him as if he was the devil incarnate or how tightly Blaine' s fists were clenched, to the point his knuckles were white.

* * *

Today, Wednesday, was the last day to audition for _The Tempest._

Kurt had considered showing up at the theatre, yesterday, but due to the rather emotionally tacking events of that day in question, and wanting a chance to talk to his father…it just didn't happen.

And he wanted to be well rested and not a wreck, in order to give best performance possible.

A nagging, inner voice snickered _that's not the real reason. You're scared. Scared you won't make it, scared they will reject you…._

…_which is what's going to happen._

_Why do you even try?_

Biting his lip, Kurt mumbled to himself, " Shut up," _(talking to myself is not a positive sign…I should just go home, and no…._).

_No. I'm doing this._

_I need to get an objective, professional viewpoint, to see if I have a shot at my dreams. Maybe it won't be want what I want to hear, but I don't want to be delusional._

_Anybody is more objective than Mr. Schuester at this point. _

Despite the butterflies fluttering in his stomach and attempting to crawl up into his larynx, Kurt got out of his Navigator. The Lima Community Theatre had seen better days, certainly. However this was _Lima, Ohio_. The community art program wasn't exactly a _priority._ Something that Kurt knew his father would change if he was elected to Congress. For now it would do.

Underneath the shabby exterior, Kurt simply saw an opportunity, like a golden ticket hidden behind a chocolate bar.

Smoothing out his sea-green, dress shirt and charcoal grey vest, Kurt strolled into the foyer of the LCT with his head high, trying to calm down his rapidly beating heart. He thought he was doing quite well in that endeavor, until he eyed a familiar dark brown coif, whose figure was clad in the dubiously fashionably look of double denim, yelling at a petite young woman.

_Jesse St. James…._

_Oh, why….._

_Why….._

At the moment, the pair didn't seem to notice his presence. Kurt cast a critical eye over the woman whose bushy hair was pulled up into a messy chignon, and had (at least for Ohio) a rather brave (more like crazy, but still better than Rachel's) sense of style by pairing a teal tights with plaid dress shorts, a cream peasant top, and a studded vest.

It didn't take a genius to realize that the woman was on the defense, a position that he been forced to take in the last few personal encounters that he had with the egocentric baritone.

_"Pleeeese,"_ Jesse sneered, "I don't know who you are, and I don't care to but you're internal wiring must be seriously twisted, _sister_ to think that anyone would cast you as Prospero. "

He blew a strand of hair out of his face, and added with conviction, "**_That's my part."_**

"Why? Because I'm a woman?" She spat out with venom, " Last time I checked, Helen Mirren played a rather impressive female version of Prospero. It's not like it takes much effort, just exchange one 'o' to 'a' and good golly, you have a girl. "

Jesse tapped his foot in agitation against the carpet, folding his arms across his chest, "You are no Helen Mirren. You are just a pest, that needs to learn her place."

"You should really learn not to jump to conclusions," Kurt couldn't help himself from stepping in when he glimpsed the beginnings of distress on the girl's face, " but then again, learning is a struggle for you. Did you fail out of another college?"

Kurt stood beside the young woman's side, as he put a hand on his hip. Jesse gave him the same condescending once over, that made Kurt feel like he was nothing in eyes of the older boy. However, there was something lingering in his gaze that made Kurt's stomach lurch with distaste.

"Hummel."

"St. Sucks."

The curly haired brunette snickered, and drew a glare, followed by a raised eyebrow from Jesse before he turned his full attention on to Kurt, " I'm actually Vocal Adrenaline's new coach for the year, and this," he gestured to the theatre with disgust," It just something to past the time until I hit Broadway by storm."

"Even someone like me, needs to keep their talent in shape."

"Well, that's fascinating and all, " Kurt drawled as he inspected his nails, "but how about you leave the drama king business outside since it's completely unnecessary. This is just a little community theatre production. Not something _someone like you_ should be getting all worked up about, right?"

Kurt tilted his head to the side, "Or have you become that desperate for the spotlight since…you have pushed into a "mentor" position?"

Jesse opened his mouth, but was interrupted when a middle aged woman stepped out of the theatre into the lobby, with a clipboard in hand. She squinted at the paper in front of her, and brushed a few strands of brown hair out of her face, " Jesse St. James?'

Jesse strutted over, and smirked, "I'll try not blind the director with my talent so you two can have a chance to be placed in the chorus" The woman frowned at that notion, but before she could escort St. James, Kurt lightly tapped her shoulder, "Excuse me, but can I still sign up?"

"Oh sure, honey, " she handed the clipboard over and Kurt quickly scrawled his name alone with the role he preferred and contact information, before she left Kurt and the young woman alone. Kurt sat down on one of the benches, and took out his phone to play a few rounds of Tetris.

After a slight pause, the brunette plopped down beside him, " Hey…thanks for that," she said softly, " I didn't expect someone to get all cray, cray about a lead role…especially since this isn't exactly LA or actually, you know, Broadway."

"I've theorized that there must be some pollutant in the drinking water around here, because St. Sucks is not the only megalomaniac in the local population," Kurt snorted as he put down his phone, "And it was _my pleasure_. We have a complicated personal history."

"I bet, unless you unleash that cutting tongue on every bystander you meet. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Believe me, he deserved it and more," with that Kurt discussed the underhanded tactics of a certain Jesse St. James during his sophomore year and the chaos he caused during the end of his junior year.

"I didn't believe show choir could be so…."she trailed off.

"Cut-throat?" Kurt supplied .

"Out of all things, my little brother is involved in…show choir always seemed the most innocuous to me," she paused, "Please don't think I'm a_ spy_ or I'm a part of some plot….even though that is something a spy would say…"

'I quit so it doesn't matter," Kurt muttered, and then in more brighter tone asked , "What school does your brother attend?"

"_Somewhere around here_," she said with a curious, mischievous glint in her hazel eyes that made Kurt back off slightly, and narrow his eyes. She extended a hand, " By the way, you can call me Eva." Kurt took it (and was a little shocked by her tight grip).

"And I'm Kurt Elizabeth Hummel," he said slowly, as he tried to see what Eva was selling. She seemed sincere in her friendliness, and she even _thanked_ him, which was something most of his friends (now ex-companions) forgot to do.

Eva smirked, in a way that looked so hauntingly familiar, but Kurt shook it off as a possible side effect of running into Jesse St. James, and feeling paranoid about who else might 'show up."

The pair drifted off into a comfortable silence, until Eva rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a harmonica. Pressing it to her lips, she began to a play. It took a few seconds to recognize the blues tune, but once Kurt did, he softly sang out the lyrics. The song wasn't exactly in his wheelhouse when it came to his range, but it didn't stop him from appreciating the music.

_"Got my mojo working, but it just won't work on you  
I wanna love you so bad till I don't know what to do_

_I got a gypsy woman givin' me advice  
I got a gypsy woman givin' me advice  
I got some red hot tips I got to keep on ice,"_

When Eva finished and started to toss the small, silver instrument back and forth between her hands, she beamed at Kurt, " It's been awhile, since I ran into someone who knows a Muddy Waters tune."

"I haven't heard someone play a harmonica since my grandfather died. It's nice,' Kurt said little wistfully, " And I'm a fan of music in all forms from Lady Gaga to B.B King."

'Well, I started playing to….keep my hands busy, "Kurt noticed a slight strain in her voice, "The other option was knitting, " Eva's shoulders shuttered in horror, " **I don't do knitting."**

Kurt chuckled, "My mom tried to teach me once….it took her more an hour to get my hands out of the trap I created for myself."

The outside doors to the lobby, burst open and a blonde boy wearing a rather ridiculous black hat (at least in Kurt's opinion) stumbled in. His large grey-blue eyes, that were magnified by his rectangular shaped glasses, owlishly scanned the room, "I hope this is the place. I looking around forever, and this seems so seedy and sketchy. Did I read the freaking map wrong or something? Where is everyone? Did mix up that auditions times? I swore I wasn't going to do that after the last time." he yammered to himself in one breath.

Kurt and Eva stared at each other; Kurt opened his mouth and Eva shushed him, she whispered, "The point of trying to live a productive and long life is to avoid the people who are bonkers, People who openly talk to themselves fit into that category." Kurt had to admit that there was wisdom in that comment.

Along with having misfiring gaydar, maybe he had to take his insano-meter into the shop to get a checkup. It might explain why he surrounded himself with "unhealthy" individuals.

And a lot of his problems.

Even though Kurt and Eva remained quiet, the boy eventually spotted them and rushed over, "Can you help me? Gosh, that sounds so pathetic, and I'm usually not this much of a basket case. _Usually._ However, currently mercury is now in retrograde for me and due to the alignment of Jupiter and Mars, my nerves are little bit frazzled and my communication abilities are impaired. Not exactly the best day for an audition, but believe me, yesterday would have been much worse. _Much worse_. So is the Lima Community Theatre, because the sign outside wasn't helpful and I live in West Lima, and I don't know his area very well…."he squeaked out, and gave a nervous smile as he tugged on the bottom of his black blazer.

Kurt had to admit, this guy was from the far side of odd. However, Kurt was also friends with Brittany and he was getting the same sweet, kooky vibe from the newcomer instead of homicidal maniac. The new guy though needed a makeover stat.

"This is it," Kurt quirked a eyebrow, "I don't think you've missed anything…the only people here are us and a certain…."

"Asshat," Eva filled in.

"Well, that good news, " the blonde seemed to miss the asshat comment," And where are my manners?" He grabbed Kurt's hand, and started to shake it to the point Kurt felt like he was going to be pulled out of his seat," My name is Chandler Kiehl." Then he moved to Eva and managed to actual make her stumble forward.

"Sorry about that. People say I can be a little too enthusiastic at times. I don't believe there is such thing as too much enthusiasm…but then again I was born in the year of the Rabbit, and I'm Aquarius…..It doesn't help auditions sometimes bring out the worst in me. I mean last time, I threw up just before getting on stage….I still got the part I wanted, the fool in _King Lear_…."

Chandler, and Kurt began an awkward conversation about _King Lear_, that lead to a discussion about their future plans while Eva looked on with amusement.

" Go break a leg, Heromine Granger look alike,' Jesse snapped as he strutted out of the theatre, a few minutes later, and gave a final hard look at Kurt before leaving.

"Is he trying to go for badass look, because it is so not working for him…"Chandler commented as he checked his horoscope on his phone.

Kurt snorted.

When Kurt's name was finally called, Eva called him over patted his whispered, "Good luck, _bunny_," ( another person referring to him an animal, really?) before she ambled away. Chandler shot him a thumbs up. With a gulp, Kurt stepped inside, and tried to hide his trepidation as he climbed the steps to the stage.

The director, Mr. Barnes, was a slightly portly man around his father's age with glasses perched on the tip of his nose, and most of his hair. He greeted Kurt was a genuine smile before waving him on to perform, and his assistant (and wife) gave him an encouraging look.

Kurt performed the monologue from Act Three (Ariel as Harpy), since the "handsy coffee time with Seb", Kurt had managed to memorize it. It much easier to act out on a stage then on a table in the middle of Lima Bean. When it came to the singing portion of his audition, Kurt had been concerned about the fact that he did not actually prepare "Ariel's Song" but Mr. Barnes informed him," doesn't matter what the heck you sing, it could be the Big Red jingle. We just need to hear your voice, kid."

Before Blaine stated he had been the one who cheated, Kurt had been preparing this particular song for the "message' he wanted to communicate to Blaine, and maybe the glee club as a whole.

Kurt started to sing, acapella (the only useful thing that came from being a Warbler was becoming completely comfortable with singing without music):

_"So come on torpedo_

_So come on torpedo_

_I know how to take a right hook_

_I know how to put a shot back_

_I know how to fake a hard look_

_When I just about done lost everything that I had_

_They've been hunting me for decades._

_Barracudas on a warpath_

_But they'll never get me,_

_I will not idly go, I got too much to fight for_

_So come on torpedo do your worst_

_Hit me right in my heart blow me up' till you see my ghost_

_But I will not lay down on the road_

_I will make it easy_

_I don't want no saints or saviors_

_This is guerrilla and I will fight this war_

_So come on torpedo_

_Just a little more morphine_

_A little peace while I writhe_

_I'll get back into it easy_

_Saddle up my horse and ride like a wildfire_

_There is no water so wicked_

_No rapid so ruthless_

_This may be the way I die_

_But I gotta try for the other side_

_So come on torpedo do your worst_

_Get me right in my heart blow me up 'till you see my ghost_

_But I will not lay down on the road_

_I will not make it easy_

_I don't want no saint or savior_

_This is guerrilla and I will fight this war_

_Heart in my throat, dirt on my nose_

_Dark diamond in my eyes, will my demons ever die?_

_Heart in my throat, dirt on my nose,_

_Dark diamond in my eyes, will my demons ever die?_

_So come on torpedo do your worst_

_You get me right in my heart blow me till you see my ghost._

_But I will not lay down on the road._

_I will not make it easy_

_I don't want no saint or saviors_

_This is guerrilla and I will fight this war_

_So come on torpedo_

**_I will fight this war_**

After he finished, Kurt looked out the audience. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes were excitedly whispering to each other.

_Well, I guess that's a good sign. At least they aren't laughing or booing me…_

* * *

**Fab_littlemonster69** is now online **(Thursday, October 7, 2011: 6:24pm)**

**THESMYTHE (6:26pm):** I don't believe it, _that's _your username, Hummel?

**Fab_littlemonster69 (6:31pm):** No, my name is Richard Bachman and I have no clue who you are, so go away.

**THESMYTHE(6:33pm):** Nice try, princess. I have it on good authority that this is you

**Fab_littlemonster69 (6:39pm):** **GO AWAY**

**THESMYTHE (6:42pm):** Your little blonde friend, Brandy? Bambi? Beth? Whatever it, doesn't matter, but she was very cooperative…though I don't understand half of what comes out of her mouth.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (6:45pm): ***sigh* It's Brittany, _bitch._

**Fab_littlemonster69 (6:46pm):** And I guess I need to give her another "stranger danger" talk…maybe if I can get my hands on a copy of the cartoon version with Dumbo and pals, it might help….

**THESMYTHE (6:47pm):** Hey! I'm not some pedo with a white van giving out rainbow stickers and lollipops. Me and the blonde are legit Facebook friends. And she asked me first so check it Hummel, before you wreck yourself.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (6:50pm):** Again, Santana and I really need to have that talk with her…because there are _some people_ in the world that don't deserve her friendship, especially not a criminal chipmunk like yourself.

**THESMYTHE (6:51pm):** I was unaware that woodland creatures had a penal system. What did I do? Steal nuts or something?

**THESMYTHE (6:53pm):** And why haven't you accepted _my _friend request yet?

**THESMYTHE (7:00pm):** Poke

**THESMYTHE (7:05pm):** Poke

**THESMYTHE (7:18pm):** Poke

**THESMYTHE (7:36pm):** Did you go into the closet and get kidnapped by Tumnus, princess? Do you need me to rescue you?

**THESMYTHE (7:43pm):** Your attempts at ignoring me are rather hopeless, just saying. I'm a Smythe: we don't give up. It's on our fucking coat of arms.

**THESMYTHE (7:57pm):** I bet your family doesn't have a coat of arms.

**THESMYTHE (7:59pm):** Balls

**THESMYTHE (8:02pm):** Cocks

**THESMYTHE (8:10pm):** Cocks, balls, cocks, balls, cocks, balls, cocks, balls,

**THESMYTHE** **(8:13pm): **So 69…_.that's_ interesting. It didn't think someone like you did anything besides standard missionary. Is that your favorite thing to do, Kurtsie?

**THESMYTHE (8:19pm):** Because that is….super-hot. You on top of me, your pretty lips around my cock, and you're hot, round ass in my face…did Blaine ever rim you?

**THESMYTHE (8:22pm):** Wait, I can answer that…that would be a resounding no. I bet you don't even know what I'm talking about. Doesn't matter, once I start…I know your thighs won't be able to stop shaking, and that's when I would move to suck on your cock.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (8:28pm):** SHUT UP. I just choose that number at random, apparently there are a lot of fab_littlemonsters running around.

**THSMYTHE (8:30pm):** Ah, that got your attention. Just because you want me to "shut up" doesn't mean it's going to happen. You can't stop me from picturing it, I mean I did end a jacking off session early to talk to you…maybe I should just go for another round, and think of you and me.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (8:33pm):** You…..

**THESMYTHE (8:34pm):** Me, what?

**Fab_littlemonster69 (8:37pm):** You need to get a life instead of trolling around and trying to provoke a reaction out of me. Get your jollies elsewhere, Craigslist….I'm not that type of guy. And haven't you learned your lesson yet: inappropriate comments/touching + me= you being publically humiliated.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (8:38pm):** And I promise next time we (I hope it never happens again) meet, it will be worse. _Much worse._

**THESMYTHE (8:40pm):** You + threats=totally adorable. You can't do that anyway; we have a truce.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (8:42pm):** What truce? Did you develop early onset dementia recently? You made fun of my clothes and got all handsy. Those are automatic deal breakers.

**THESMYTHE (8:43pm):** I really didn't mean _that_ way…I was just playing around.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (8:45pm):** You admitted you're a Machiavellian type of guy…someone that will do anything to get what you want. You can read my insecurities and you use them to get me to interact with you. I don't like being a puppet…I already dated someone who treated me like that…and I refuse to make that same mistake.

**THESMYTHE (8:47pm):** Smart little cookie, aren't you? But you're not able to comprehend the concept that I'm **not **Blaine. Yes, I want to fuck you a lot, but I think we could have some fun outside of the bedroom too. Like pals or something. Fuck buddies.

**THESMYTHE (8:48pm):** I'll even take you out to dinner first.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (8:49pm):** No. No matter what you do, that is my answer because you suck.

**THESMYTHE (8:50pm):** Yeah, I suck. I'm a pro at sucking. What about you, Kurtsie? Do you suck?

**THESMYTHE (8:52pm):** Spit or swallow, dollface?

**Fab_littlemonster69 (8:53pm):** Just no, Smythe, NO

**Fab_littlemonster69** is now **offline. (Thursday, October 7, 2011: 8:53pm)**

**Fab_littlemonster69** is now**online(Thursday, October 7, 2011: 9:44pm)**

**THESMYTHE (9:45pm):** I knew you had come back for more of _this._

**THESMYTHE (9:46pm):** Are you ever going to answer my question? Because I'm damned curious over here picturing certain scenarios.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (9:55pm):** Haven't you heard of the saying that curiosity leads the cat to developing rabies, and getting hit by a car?

**THESMYTHE (9:56pm)** I'm pretty sure that's not the expression.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (9:58pm)** Well, it should be.

**THESMYTHE (9:59pm):** Come on now, you would really wish harm on the sweet feline version of me?

**Fab_littlemonster69** is now **offline. (Thursday, October 7, 2011: 10:00pm)**

**THESMYTHE (10:01pm):** Bitch

**Fab_littlemonster69** is **online (Thursday, October 7, 2011: 10:29pm)**

**Fab_littlemonster69** **(10:30pm):** Before you say anything, meerkat, let me hammer in this point through your pathetic attempt at Elvis' hairstyle and dense skull, I'm not here to talk to you. I've been trying to have a conversation with someone I met at my audition the other day, and I would really appreciate it if you found someone else to annoy.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (10:31)**: and I'm also trying to win an auction for a vintage Bakelite pin shaped like a cricket, which takes precedence over you.

**THESMYTHE (10:33pm)**: Is some slime ball trying to pick you up? I thought you were classier than that.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (10:40pm):** Mr. Pot let me introduce you to Mr. Kettle.

**THESMYTHE (10:41pm)** Hahaha, but come on, what does this guy have that makes him so more interesting to talk to than me?

**Fab_littlemonster69 (10:45pm):** Who said it was a guy?

**THESMYTHE (10:46pm):** Just planning a sleepover then, full of manicures, movies featuring Patrick Dempsey, and other girly shit?

**Fab_littlemonster69 (10**:**49pm):** *shakes head* I'm not a girl, Smythe. I have other interests and though Patrick Dempsey is attractive, he's not my type.

**THESMYTHE (10:51pm):** Then what is your type?

**THESMYTHE (10:53pm)**: Not like you can afford to be picky.

**THESMYTHE (10:54pm):** Hello?

**THESMYTHE (11:07pm):** You ignoring me=total bullshit.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (11:11pm):** What can I say? You're not the sun that my solar system revolves around. You're more like Pluto who got demoted from being a planet.

**THESMYTHE (11:13pm):** But everyone loves Pluto, despite that fact. So in your face.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (11:16pm)**: That's…true.

**THESMYTHE (11:18pm):** And Pluto was the Roman god of the underworld, which is pretty sick…

**Fab_littlemonster69 (11:21pm):** But didn't he have to kidnap a girl so he wouldn't be alone? Not much of a _player._

**THESMYTHE (11:22pm):** So? He got her to stay in the end…

**Fab_littlemonster69 (11:27pm):** That's why we "supposedly" have winter, because Pluto was a selfish bastard and tricked her into eating six pomegranate seeds…the perfect comparison to you actually.

**THESMYTHE (11:39pm):** Whatever.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (11:40pm)**: No snappy comeback?

**THESMYTHE (11: 41pm):** Why don't you just gossip with your little girlfriend?

**THESMYTHE (11:42pm):** And my comeback, since you asked so nicely to be insulted, at least me as Pluto still has someone for 6 months out of the year…I can't see you managing that feat, now that Blando is done using you. For who could put up with your antics, and your gayface?

**THESMYTHE (11:43pm):** Honestly, I can't think of anyone real. You're going to have to rely on imaginary friends for companionship.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (11:44pm):**…

**THESMYTHE (11:45pm):** Got nothing to say? Going to go cry to your mommy, princess?

**Fab_littlemonster69 (11: 46pm):** Go get a venereal disease to add to your collection.

**THESMYTHE (11:47pm)**: So original, slut shaming.

**THESMYTHE (12:01pm)**: I know that you can do better than that…

**THESMYTHE (12:03pm):** Hummel, come on…

**THESMYTHE (12:04pm):** You know, I didn't mean it…

**THESMYTHE (12:09pm):** You just…ugh…

**THESMYTHE (12:13pm):** Shit, I really fucked up again.

**THESMYTHE (12:17pm):** Fuck

* * *

**Fab_littlemonster69 (12:22am): **Who sends a text like, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I love your face…but it would be better covered with my cum ;)"

**Fab_littlemonster69 (12:24am):** And the "pet" name business needs to stop.

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:25am):** Well, perhaps this guy is unable to express his feelings properly or he feels conflicted about said feelings so he lashes out or makes everything sexual in order to protect himself….

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:26am):** Maybe underneath his cocky façade, this guy is really insecure and lives permanently in awkward turtle land…

**Fab_littlemonster69 (12:29am):** That's the more rational and empathic approach to my problem….but he just makes me see red, and I have enough on my plate to worry about. I don't need another snake curling around my ankles, preparing to make me fall on my face.

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:32am):** How about you finally check your email, and look at the cast listing instead of worrying about this guy?

**Fab_littlemonster69 (12:33am):** *sighs* I can't keep putting it off…but every time I think about it, I picture just making the chorus (which I can live with) or "We are sorry to inform you…but you don't possess the talent for this production, so please continue to be deluded about your abilities, just away from our stage."

**Fab_littlemonster69 (12:35am):** I mean you didn't the role of Prospero like you wanted…and you actually have experience, way more than St, Sucks. I don't have much, except for my school's glee club/WSS.….can't you just tell me? Pretty please with a million cherries on top? I'm giving you my big, sad eyes right now…well, more like my computer screen…but their there, judging you…

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:36am)** Oh no! I have no immunity against sad eyes (I have a feeling yours are super-charged)…my little brother just threatens me with putting Nair into my shampoo/conditioner when I don't give him what he wants….

'

**Fab_littlemonster69(12:37am):** Bastard : ( And I thought my stepbrother was bad with his need to put his nose into my business or track cheese dust all through the house…

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:38am):** It's all right. I usually win in the end, by shaving off his eyebrows when he's sleeping, and purposely dying his clothes pink when he refuses to do his own laundry.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (12:39am):** I might have to "borrow" some of your tricks…if Finn doesn't stop trying to pick my bedroom lock so we can have a "Hudson-Hummel' bro talk…about how it wasn't "cool to diss his girlfriend."

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:40am):** Go rock on with your bad self, bunny. Itching power is another solid option.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (12:41am):** *evil smirk* Finn would go insane if I did that…

**Fab_littlemonster69 (12:42am):** Pranking techniques aside, are you sure you're okay with not getting the lead?

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:43am): **You're too sweet. Seriously, I'm happy with getting Sebastian/Ceres. At least I get a chance to sing, and I do have some wicked lines. I knew going in the chance at getting Prospero was small. Unless the director is trying to make some statement, Prospero will generally be played by a man or a woman in drag….and I would insist on making Prospero into Prospera.

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:44am):** And after meeting your "St. Sucks," I can tell Mr. Barnes is going for a more "Prospero is an evil puppet master/immoral prick vibe" and I'm sure I can't pull that off.

**Fab_littlemonster69 (12:46am):** ….I guess I'm not used to people taking "rejection" so…calmly.

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:47am):** From what you told me, your "friends" need to take a few grow up pills before they head out into the real world, because temper tantrums are not acceptable.

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:48am):** So… stop stalling. You need to take the plunge, bunny and risk the pain. Not like you're going to be disappointed ;)

**HarmonicaChick24 (12:49am):** God, I sound like a sensei. Goodnight…and LOOK.

**HarmonicaChick24** is now offline.** (Friday, October 8, 2011: 12:50am)**

Pressing his fingers to his temples, Kurt sighed as his phone continued to loudly vibrate in the background. Texts that had to be from Sebastian.

Texts that Kurt swore he wasn't going to read.

Whatever the Craigslist Douchbag's motive, for coming on to him….so aggressively, was offically not a part of Kurt's concern. He already blocked Blaine's number; he might as well do the same for Sebastian. Smythe had made it clear that he wasn't a person that Kurt could simply ignore; he had to be excised from Kurt's life. Something Kurt admitted he was getting good at.

Kurt didn't want to be rude to Eva, a possible ally/friend despite the fact that she paired teal tights with dress shorts, but he highly doubted that Sebastian had self-confidence issues or didn't know how to properly express himself. His words, that haunted Kurt's greatest fears of being unloved and unwanted, had left their mark by scorching and clawing at the surface of his skin in order to get to the raw layers underneath.

As Kurt remembered from his mom's lectures, "Once you say a word it can never be taken back." There were times, especially when it came to David or even Rachel, he didn't really mean what he said…he just felt threatened and words were the only way Kurt could fight back.

_A feeling that I doubt Sebastian has ever experienced, since he gets whatever he wants._

Kurt opened up his email account and stared at the email from Mr. Barnes, that contained the cast list. Since its existence, Kurt had tried to avoid it. He managed to complete several assignments ahead of time; reorganized the kitchen, then his closet, and even resorted to being distracted by Sebastian. When Sebastian had crossed the line (repeatedly) Kurt found talking Eva to be smoothing to his raw nerves, along with reading some of the really ridiculous texts Chandler sent him.

The boy really liked his knock-knock jokes and sharing his astrological insights.

But Kurt couldn't keep ignoring_ this_….it wasn't exactly a note announcing that his number was up and he was required to be stoned to death in some tableau similar to Jackson's _The Lottery_.

Kurt's hand held the cursor away from the email. His mind still was uncertain of what he would discover, for he wanted more than anything to believe that it was possible for someone to see he was talented enough to perform at this level, for someone that wasn't biased when it came to auditions, and for someone who would give him a chance to show what he could do.

At the last second, Kurt clicked away.

_Coward._

He pulled up his eBay auction; it should be closed by now…with him as the winner.

Someone by the name of 'milo_otis18' snapped it up by bidding…over $200.00 at the last second. An outrageous price, but there were some people out there with more dollars than sense.

Kurt didn't take it as a positive sign, that he lost the auction that he had been stalking close to a week. As Kurt sat there contemplating the chances of being able to sleep tonight without knowing if he got the part he wanted or any part at all, he bit his lip and decided Eva was right.

He had to take the plunge before he fell apart from the nerves twitching underneath his skin.

Kurt opened the email.

With a jubilant squeal, Kurt jumped out of his seat, while the swivel chair he was sitting in, tumbled to the floor behind him.

For three lines down, the cast list featured the following:

**Ariel: Kurt Hummel**

Even though it was ridiculous, Kurt couldn't stop himself from punching the air with his fist and engaging in a victory dance, that he had choreographed years ago until his cheeks were flushed and a wide smile crossed his face from ear to ear.

Kurt leaned over, and scanned down the list, a few familiar names stood out (besides Jesse St. James as Prospero).

**Ferdinand**: Zach Licht_ (Lima Bean barista?)_

**Iris/Lead Spirit Dancer: **Brittany Pierce

**Miranda: **Santana Lopez

**Stephano: **Noah Puckerman

**Triculo: **Chandler Kiehl

The idea of Santana playing Miranda, the innocent, naïve, and gentle daughter of Prospero , didn't mesh in Kurt's mind, but Santana was talented and maybe the director wanted to do something different.

Or maybe she threatened to go all Lima Heights adjunct….if she didn't get the part.

What make Kurt concerned and make the gesture for "shady palm tree" was the idea of Santana having to play Jesse St. James' daughter…

_Ewww…_

_But why the hell did Santana and Brittany decide to audition in the first place? I didn't tell them about the play..._

_And when did Noah develop an interest in Shakespeare?_

_At least I'll have some friendly company to help with being stuck with Jesse St. Sucks for most of my scenes. _

As he looked over the list one last time, his eyes nearly snagged on the presence of one particular name:

**Caliban: **Sebastian Smythe

_FML_

_Fuck, I can't escape him, can I? I know he did this on purpose; since it appears that it is his mission in life is to pester me to death._

And then there was another quieter, but still unnerving revelation:

**Sebastian/Ceres: **Evangeline Smythe

_Sebastian is her little brother? How has she survived living with that…monster?_

Kurt never mentioned the name of the guy that bothered him (and now he was so glad, he didn't) to her. However, once "Eva" saw them together, she would quickly figure it out. He didn't see how those two could be siblings. Physically, there were similarities that Kurt ignored at a first glance, like the smirk, the flecks of green in Eva's hazel eyes, and the same nose, but personality wise, it was like comparing earth and fire…or Nosfarau and May Dove Canady.

In the end, Kurt just wanted Sebastian out of his life, but the prick was making it more and more difficult, by wrapping around him like creeping vine. A vine he wanted to set on fire; but Kurt refused to give this up, this incredible chance at the spotlight…he would have just to tolerate the CW haired asshole, for the good of his professional future.

**_Sebastian will not break me. He will not take this away from me. _**

_It's not like Ariel and Caliban actually interact with each other, except when Ariel causes Stephano to go off at Triculo and…_

_Triculo…_

_Chandler and Sebastian in the same room; Chandler and Sebastian trying to work together. _

_Shit, Sebastian is going to rip him into shreds…_

_And Noah…._

_Chandler, Noah, and Sebastian…._

_This is going to be a fucking disaster._

* * *

_Boys are really stupid. _

It's not a hypothesis, but a theory developed from personal observation , collection of data, and the facts of Evangeline's life. Not that Evangeline could say with much certainty that she had done much better with her life or made many smart decisions. Dropping out of the Berklee College of Music, after two years so she could fly to LA and attempt to be a singer on her own was not one of her greatest hits. She had been lucky; almost winning a jackpot lottery lucky, with being able to support herself in a not-roach infested apartment due to the fact that she was the opening act to a few well-known local bands. As Eva Chastain (Smythe always sounded so stuffy to her; she used her mother's maiden name instead) she was starting to get a _tiny, tiny_,_ tiny_ following.

Until alcohol became her best and only friend; and slowly but surely Evangeline turned her life into a nightmare where it was hard to see if she was up or down half the time. It was her choice to drown her sorrows of being alone, to losing her mom at twenty, and the guilt for agreeing with her well-meaning but sometimes bone-headed father, that it would be a good idea for Sebastian to get away and go to Paris at fourteen…where he was completely alone, in booze. She changed from being someone that cared about herself and who she was with, to someone that dragged whatever she could find back home. When she tried to have a relationship; Evangeline was the one who got booted out on her ass for being the "problem" or ended up with someone who was far sicker than her.

In the end, at twenty two, she got evicted from her not a flea-bag apartment and only had four dollars in her pocket. Four dollars that she spent on her last beer before calling collect and begging for help.

The last two years has been spent taking responsibility for her actions, trying to clean up her act so she could have a future, and looking after her wayward brother. Evangeline was far from perfect, and she struggled with the demon who crouched on her shoulder, who said it was _perfectly okay to just take one drink. One sip wouldn't hurt, and she would feel so good…._

_She could forget about __**that night**__, the night pushed that her over the edge, completely. _

But demons always lied, and more than anything Evangeline wanted to change, to be a good role model so Bastian didn't follow her path down the rabbit hole, even though it seemed he was already half way there.

Boys, or perhaps mostly Sebastian (since he was the only boy in her life, except for Zach…but that was something Evangeline didn't want to think about right now) were stupid because they refused to change or if they did change it was for the worse, never for the better. Evangeline knew what people thought of her little brother…and for the most part they were right.

However, in Evangeline's mind lived a very different Sebastian. A Sebastian that used to wear thick, black glasses, had braces with rubber bands, who used three-dollar words in his conversations, and tried to plot world domination from his tree house.

And when no one was really looking or when he wasn't causing mischief like putting itching powder in her clothes, Sebastian could be a genuine, charming, sweetheart, who swiped "babyish" fairytales from the family library when no one was looking, and adored cats.

Then when he turned twelve, and Evangeline was eighteen, Sebastian started to transform into Steff from _Pretty in Pink_. Evangeline knew that Sebastian got picked on occasionally, but once the braces came off, the glasses exchanged for contacts, he grew half a foot, and started to become involved in sports…Sebastian flipped the tables on his former bullies and went out for blood.

Revenge was a concept Evangeline could understand, even though it always seems to lead to two graves instead of one. It was when Sebastian started to go after kids that did nothing wrong to him, that she became concerned. There was one boy, named Mitchell, that Sebastian was completely fixated on.

Mitchell was a quiet, thin boy who enjoyed drawing and writing poetry…who perhaps could have been described as "emo" but Sebastian got everyone in his class to call him a "gayface." Even though it was clear at that point to the rest to the Smythe family and family friends that Sebastian wasn't_ exactly_ straight, and her brother was never shamed for it.

Despite his support at home and the lectures on his behavior, Sebastian still decided to make Mitchell's life a living hell.

Sebastian's favorite hobbies became ripping up Mitchell's drawings, stealing Mitchell's notebooks to read his poetry out loud to a mocking crowd, spreading gruesome rumors, and referring to the boy as "Mitch the Bitch" along with gayface. Until Mitchell cracked and told on Sebastian for dumping a bucket of dye over his head that caused him to have a rather severe allergic reaction.

Mom had started in with," I'm so disappointed" in you speeches, and Dad had thought maybe a creative outlet might help…but Evangeline had noticed how dilated Sebastian's pupils became when Mitchell's name was mentioned. Nobody believed her at first, but it was clear that the problem was actually romantic in nature, rather than her brother being a psychopathic bully.

Well, she was really praying for that to be the case at the time.

It was easy for her to see that Bastian was a dumbass whose idea of courting could be translated as, "look at me, look at me, see I'm totally better than you, so you should be my boyfriend because I'm that awesome while you're a loser." Pulling pigtails was not a very effective strategy. Focusing negative attention on the person you "liked, liked" was only something the only the inexperienced or socially awkward did.

And honestly, her baby brother had more game when he was in kindergarten, and tackled a boy named Cameron to the ground, shouting, "Mine!" Despite that strange, awkward start, Sebastian managed to get his first kiss, a few days later during naptime and the boys had become inseparable until Cameron had to move to Singapore due to his mother getting a promotion.

Mom had thought Cameron and Sebastian were adorable, and when any of the other parents (or teachers) complained about the boys she would chew them out in rapid-fire French, which in Evangeline's opinion was the scariest thing ever.

But whatever had been going on between Sebastian and Mitchell was far from adorable. No one though believed Evangeline's idea until Mom had walked in on Sebastian masturbating and moaning Mitchell's name.

Just a normal day in the Smythe household.

Their parents had tried to show again there was no need for Sebastian to act out, and that they all loved him no matter who he was attracted to and that it was okay.

Sebastian continued to harass Mitchell until he transferred to a different school. When Mitchell went away, Sebastian was moody until he focused on another boy. This insane pattern continued until the car accident happened and destroyed all their lives.

The car accident took their mother, and a close family friend; leaving Sebastian as the only survivor of the wreck. Mom had been the glue of their family, and when she died, they fell apart. Dad had just been elected a state attorney, she had still been at college, and Sebastian was unintentionally ignored. Sure, he was given access to any sort of shrink and therapy that he wanted but that's not what a fourteen year old needs.

And Evangeline was pretty sure Bastian never went to single session, and found comfort instead by perverting the idea of carpe dieme, by doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

Evangeline (still) blamed herself for not being there and for not stopping Sebastian from spinning into a self-destructive spiral, but now there seemed to be something that she could do to help him. Evangeline refused to let Sebastian turn into…_her_. She was getting her baby brother back one way or another. Because it was clear to her that there was someone capable of bring out the old Sebastian back, not this shallow imitation whose only goal in life seemed to be sex, sex, and a side of drinking.

And Kurt Hummel was the key.

It only took her a few minutes to fall in love with the boy, despite Sebastian's denials. Evangeline knew he felt the same (for how could fucking adorable not be someone's type?).

Though she felt like she was living in _Fiddler on the Roof_ for just thinking this, but Sebastian and Kurt would be a good "match." The scene between Kurt and that pompous, airheaded twit had proved that maybe Kurt looked like a Pomeranian, but he was pure pit-bull underneath. He proposed a challenge; something that Sebastian desperately needed, because everyone had a tendency to turn into a doormat when he was involved. However, Kurt's viciousness came from a good place, a need to protect…and Evangeline could see that when Kurt allowed someone in he could be extremely nurturing, another quality Sebastian required in a partner.

On the other hand, due to her own odyssey of bad choices and her fucking fantastic relationships with the human cockroaches of the world, Evangeline could sniff out the heavy traces left behind by not so awesome ex, all over Kurt (and from what she had seen of Peewee Herman, he didn't deserve someone like Kurt in his life, even though Sebastian should never been involved in that mess…since it was obvious Mr. In Seriously Need of Anger Management wasn't the one he was after). Kurt also needed someone to support, appreciate, and defend him. At a first glance, maybe it didn't seem like Sebastian was capable of that….but Evangeline knew how her brother would react if someone tried to humiliate or attack her. It wasn't pretty, for sure.

She just needed to unglue Sebastian's head from his ass, and help him break down his walls…and this could work. Sebastian wasn't the only Smythe capable of a scheme or two.

After "liking" Kurt's new Facebook status (Kurt Hummel is a tricksy spirit), Evangeline pulled on a robe over her bunny printed pajamas, before padding over to Sebastian's bedroom. Without the overhead light, Evangeline nearly knocked over one of the piles of books scattered all over the floor of Sebastian's room.

She didn't understand how Sebastian managed to not break his neck with this obstacle course constructed of books, clothes, and lacrosse gear. Evangeline could only suppose it was one Sebastian's hidden talents. Carefully treading into the room by the dim light cast by the original Stickley lamp sitting on Sebastian's desk, Evangeline could make out Sebastian's fully clothed form curled up on the bed with Milo protectively arched around Sebastian's head.

Evangeline couldn't help but to softly smile. Sebastian always appeared to look so young and innocent when he was sleeping. Tip-topping across the room to the closet, Evangeline removed one of the quilts their mother sewed, and draped it over her brother's body, though his pink sock-clad feet stuck out at the end. Milo let out an appreciative meow at the gesture before leaving Sebastian's head and burrowing underneath the quilt.

_As long as you stay there, and I don't find you sleeping in my bathroom sink again; I'll forgive you for leaving my brother, for cozier pastures. _

But it was the removal of Milo's long body, that showed Sebastian was clutching a large tome in his hands. Evangeline walked over and gently removed the book of what appeared to be Greek mythology. She patted Sebastian's head before settling the book down at Sebastian's desk. As Evangeline moved to turn off the light, she noticed one piece of paper, on an otherwise uncluttered surface, that grabbed her attention. Picking it up, Evangeline rolled her eyes.

Her brother had been playing with Photoshop again.

She didn't know how Sebastian managed to find a photo of Kurt Hummel, but he made (well, he tried to) it look like Kurt was sitting on his lap.

"Loser," Evangeline quietly chided as she turned off the light.

* * *

**Songs:**

**Eva/Evangeline's harmonica piece**: Got My Mojo Working-Muddy Waters

**Kurt's Audition Song**: Torpedo-Jillette Johnson, I would was rather conflicted with having this being the piece Kurt sang. It fits his current emotional/head state but it probably doesn't fit with the role he was trying out for. The other song I considered was "The Lightning Strike (What if This Storm Ends?) by Snow Patrol since I see it as very ethereal, musically expresses the nature of a thunderstorm, and has beautiful imagery that connects to Ariel, but it's about a relationship and I don't like Kurt in this story is ready to sing about that. It's a possible song for Kurt to sing later though.

**Sebastian's Audition Song:** "Come and See" is the first part of the song cycle, "The Island" by The Decembrists. There are direct connections here to _The Tempest,_ which Sebastian used to sort suck up in a way. I don't see Sebastian using music as a way to express his feelings, well not yet anyway.

Sebastian's speech is from Act 1, scene II

Prospero's quote: Act V, scene I

"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes," Mark Twain

"Big Red song"-reference to _Get Over It._

Iris and Ceres (along with Juno) are not _real _characters in _The Tempest;_ they are just spirits/nymphs/goddesses that Prospero and Ariel produce to sing for Miranda/Ferdinand.

May Dove Canady-main character in _May_, a horror film directed by Lucky McKee

Richard Bachman: Stephen King's penname.

Chandler, was only in one episode, and I sort added some quirks here to flesh him out. I have nothing against the Kandler ship, but he is more like a plantonic friend, which Kurt needs…and I have plans for Chandler. An astrology stuff is total BS, I just made it up…so it's not going to make logical sense.

He will be happy….I promise. Especially since I feel guilty about the future interactions between him with Sebastian…it's sort of like bush baby versus jaguar….I think you tell who wins in that situation.

**Sebastian's backstory:** there are certain aspects of his past that haven't been answered yet (Evangeline doesn't know everything), but this is big jumping point in understanding him/motivations. I have seen a lot of Kurtbastian stories where Sebastian was used by his first boyfriend/family is homophobic etc but I wanted to do something different. Yes, the accident happened four years ago in the story's timeline but Sebastian hasn't moved passed the stage of denial when it comes to his grief/guilt.

**Smythe Family Tree**

Salem Arthur Smythe-father…will be showing up soonish

Euphemie Merle Smythe nee Chastain-mother deceased

Evangeline Ann Smythe/ Eva Chastain

Sebastian Mason Smythe

Chapter 6**: Tornados, Hurricanes, and Tempests, Oh My!:** Election day comes for Kurt and Burt, Rachel and Finn try to "fix things" with the best of intentions…and well, as they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions, Ms. Pillsbury acts like a real guidance counselor for once, Santana gets outed, Kurt vs. Finn, 1st round of Burt vs. Blaine at the election party, Kurt has an interesting conversation with Sue Sylvester, Sebastian sneaks out to go to Scandals, and runs into Bear Cub.

**R&R : ) thanks**


	6. Chapter 6

A/N:

Certain canon events slightly twisted to fit the story, again this is an AU of season three.

Sorry that this is a little late by my usual standards but work has been stressful, I planned my father's birthday celebration, and pretty much every day for the past two weeks I walked into a scene from "Acid Annie" because one of my roommates is sort of real life version of Sebastian who expects me to clean up his messes and his latest ex- fling thought it would be "awesome" to destroy my innocent bystander of a laptop. Wine + keyboard = sadness.

The only reason this chapter happened is due to my other roommate (she is amazing), a friend that is a little addicted to my carrot cakes, and surprisingly my father's ancient Dell. It's easier for me crank out long chapters when I have my own computer again, so this is sort of a half chapter, compared to what I originally planned.

Also, my AC died…and my brain fried just a little bit.

Apologizes for my rough Polish…it's been awhile but I'm pretty sure

Pierdol sie:fuck off

Kurwa:bitch/whore/fuck

So yadda, yadda, finally here's chapter 6 (though it feels like a filler chapter, and not my best work)

Warnings:mentions of homophobia, homophobic slurs, outing, Finn logic (seriously he messes up/ acts like a ignorant asshole), frank discussion of abusive relationships, bullying, brief mention of alcoholism/mental illness, masturbation, Sebastian being Sebastian

Chapter 6: Tornados, Hurricanes, and Tempests, Oh My!

"I know that you only want to own me

And that's the kind of love you show me

You tell me only one thing and do another

Keep all your secrets undercover

Who are you to tell me, tell me

Who to, to be, to be?

Yeah, you let, you let go

Yeah, you let, you let go

Yeah, you let, you let go of me

Yeah you played the martyr for so long

That you can't do anything wrong."

"Hypocrates," **Marina and the Diamonds**

Chewing on one of the breadsticks that was included in their take-out meal from Breadstix, Santana twisted around on the bed to look over at Brittany. The blonde had been focused on her drawings for the most of the evening, while _Lost Girl_ played on in the background. The completed pictures were scattered on the floor, depicting scenes of two cats playing with a ball of yarn or sleeping together (Santana suspected the cats were meant to represent them) or a weird mash up of fairies and shamrocks (which made a knife twist in Santana's gut at the reminder of Rory, the little boot licking bitch, who was Finn's little spy, reporting on any sign of them leaving New Directions…_not like it matters now_).

What was distressing Santana to the point she only managed to eat six breadsticks, wasn't trying to look up Brittany's cheering skirt, or fantasizing about having a pocket Kenzi, was Britt's insistence on sketching the unicorn version of Lady Lips and that…_Sebastard_… as a pegasus. Besides the info she gathered from "borrowing' pretty pony's phone, Santana made sure to 'bump into' that shaggy brunette Warbler named Nick, and "politely ask" for the rundown on the bastard with the fake Disney prince hair.

The news wasn't good.

The boy is like my twisted, gay reflection, and I'm pretty damn sure that's not what Prancy Smurf needs after finally giving fugly, pug nose the boot. He needs someone that won't hurt him, and that spoiled preppy son of a bitch screams misery.

Until recently Santana had always seen the other members of glee club as her "losers." Maybe she treated most of them like shit but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel _something_ for the pathetic dorks.

It was really like a _sickness._ A nasty one like leprosy…or something else that led to oozing sores and disfigurement.

A sickness that fucking never went away. It was beyond strange because the only people she generally cared about were Brittany or sometimes Puck when he wasn't thinking with Puckzilla. Having a surrogate family was stressful and sometimes Santana made serious errors in judgment especially when it came to Lady Gaga in Training Wheels.

Before Rachel brought up Kurt's situation, last year, Santana had noticed the permanent expression of a frantic rabbit trying to escape from a bear trap stamped onto Hummel's face and how he would shiver every time someone wearing a letterman jacket came too close. Santana ignored it. She had been too obsessed with her own social status and her feelings about Brittany to give a damn…until it was too fucking late.

As Dave's beard, Santana had been made aware of the whole _Kurt&Dave_ saga. Honestly, if Dave grew the balls that Prancy had to be packing in order to be himself (glitters and rainbows in all) in Lima then the problem would have been solved, especially if both of the boys were locked in a room together to finally talk out their 'feelings. " And they could have finally gotten over the angst to start with the wanky making.

Besides being a emotional dumbass, Dave wasn't _that_ bad. They still sometimes talked, to bitch about shared state of eating Turkish delight with the White Witch. Though Dave was quick to point out that least she had someone. Someone that she might lose if she didn't get her shit together.

Thanks for the alert, Captian Obvious. Maybe you should turn that perceptive eye on yourself to go after baby gay.

And anyway, Kurt and David had more going on in the chemistry department than "Klaine" ever did. It wasn't a opinion, it was a fact right after "life isn't fair," in the encyclopedia of real world knowledge.

Along with the picture of Blaine Anderson as the world's biggest douchebag.

Blaine. the gelled up pipsqueak, that completely turned New Directions from a dysfunctional, incestuous family into a one man show with Man-Hands as the only other supporting act. Swaying in the background under new management didn't seem like much fun to her. However, what was Blaine's worse sin in Santana's book was how he was slowly rubbing away Lady Lips' sequins and glitter, which was like when Finn called Brittany 'stupid ' for believing in leprechauns and her last bit of patience with the saggy dough boy finally snapped; it wasn't right.

But Prancy had surprised her by burning off the leech that was attached to his side, without her intervention, which showed off the fact that Hummel might be a flaming unicorn but he had claws or maybe his horn was more than decorative.

Santana could respect that, and now she could help out by keeping the blazer wearing shark from circling too close to her and Britt's favorite dolphin . And she wouldn't feel so…_guilty_ (_which is not a okay feeling for me to be experiencing )_about her past behavior towards Kurt.

Brittany though seemed to share a very different opinion about the matter. Santana had learned that Brittany was _oddly _perceptive about certain matters, maybe it had to with her almost psychic connection to Lord Tubbington (currently, the obese, grey furball was attempting to inhale a meatball in one bite) but she was _almost _always right.

Not about this, though. I can't see Hummel and Smythe skipping through a meadow together while singing the "Accidentally in Love." I can only predict Hummel crying in a corner, a few days after they hook up, and I think I'm done seeing that boy cry.

Moving closer to Brittany, so her chin was perched on the blonde's shoulder, while one hand softly draw circles and random shapes down Britt's back, Santana asked, "What does it mean for someone be a pegasus, anyway?" and pointed to the winged horse nuzzling a unicorn wearing a star-patterned scarf.

"A unicorn is someone that admits that they are magical and special, while a pegasus doesn't want to or doesn't want to admit that they are very attracted to bicorns or unicorns, or they go about things in the wrong way…" Brittany paused to peer over her shoulder at Santana, and said more softly,' Like Davy-bear and…_you_."

Santana sighed, her vision flooded with the image of her abuela, until it gradually faded away. She landed a few kisses up and down Brittany's neck before the other girl jerked away, "I can't wait for you forever, you know."

"I know," Santana whispered, _and I know you deserve better than me_, "and I'm not going to give you another empty promise. But I'm…coming out to my family and everyone, s_oon."_

'_Soon_," Brittany repeated with a slightly sheepish smile, as she let her unfinished drawing fall to the floor of her bedroom, and draped her arms around Santana's waist and drew the Latina in for a sloppy kiss.

Later, after an hour of fooling around, and debating the merits (or in Santana's case the demerits) of Kurt's and Sebastian's relationship, Santana was cocooned underneath the covers with Brittany, Santana felt secure and free. Letting go of her usually HBIC façade, she curled tightly around the blonde, and carded her hand through Brittany's locks with a genuine smile dancing on her lips.

_Here I'm safe. Here I can be myself._

_Brittany is...my safe place._

_If that means that I'm a freaking pegasus, then sue and stuff me._

* * *

Finn didn't understand how it got to this point. _Honest._

When he woke up this morning, he thought it was going to be a good day. He managed to get five hours of solid sleep, several more than his average, and scarfed down two bowls of Lucky Charms (with chocolate milk) before having to head off to school. There was also the political shindig going down, that despite the stuff that happened on Tuesday, Finn was excited about attending with the family.

It would just be better if Kurt stopped being so damn stubborn and apologized to Rachel.

_Rachel…_

Rachel was the reason that things got so complicated. It's not he could actually say no to her and her schemes. Right now, it was obvious that he didn't have much going for him.

Finn knew wasn't smart and his grades showed that fact.

OSU didn't want him for football.

He wasn't talented and motivated like Blaine, Rachel, or Kurt because he had no clue what he wanted to do with his life, besides planning his next meal.

Even Rachel only wanted to have sex with him help her prepare for playing Maria, not because she loved him.

It was clear that he wasn't good enough for anything, and the chances of escaping the fate of being a Lima Loser were decreasing every day.

The least he could be is a good boyfriend and do whatever Rachel wanted. It made things simple and he didn't have to think about difficult things like his future. He didn't have to think at all.

And Rachel's idea of trying to get Santana and Brittany back didn't _seem_ like a bad plan, especially since they hadn't joined up with the enemy (aka The Troubletones) there was a chance of reasoning with them. Finn admitted he wanted to protest Rachel's other plan of stuffing the ballot box so Kurt could win the election for senior class president so Kurt would feel, " important enough" to accept his normal role in the chorus. Again, this seemed like it was bound to fail and was kind of mean, but he still nodded along with it.

Rachel seemed to understand Kurt better then him, and maybe everything could work out just in time for Sectionals, like one of those inspiring 1980's movies about kids who learn calculus and go to college despite everyone saying they couldn't.

However, there were two minor flaws in Rachel's plan: sending _him_ to reason with Santana and believing that Santana could be _reasoned_ with. The simple request to come back led to full on battle with Santana's silver dagger of a tongue. Most of her insults, Finn couldn't understand because they were in Spanish. But the ones he did, sliced and diced at his skin, as the words themselves had the power to make him bleed.

As in any situation where Finn felt threatened, he responded back with rage and his personal word filter went out the window. In the middle of a crowded hallway, Finn roared, "At least I'm not a _dyke_ that is love with an absolute idiot."

Santana Lopez stood there, for a moment, staring at him as if he was a car about to hit her straight on and she was just a defenseless doe. Her eyes were wet, as finally everyone reacted to Finn's outburst, after a few seconds of shock, with mocking jeers and then some genius who had been contentedly slurping up his raspberry slushie, dumped it over Santana's head chanting, "Lesbo," over, over and over ag an.

Until Santana just ran, with slushie dripping down her Cheerio uniform.

Something that led his mouth to nearly drop to his knees because he never seen Santana like that with real emotions and stuff unless she was in deep weepy drunk mode.

_What….the…hell…did…I …just…do?_

_This is way worse when I called Kurt's stuff, "faggy," isn't it?_

_fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfu ckfuckfuck fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfu ckfuckfuck fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfu _ ckfuckfuck _fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfu ckfuckfuck_

Finn was brought back from his churning thoughts, by a guttural snarl and then his day completely went to hell,, "You really haven't learned anything at all," Kurt marched towards him, going against the tide of students who were heading off to their own classrooms, far, far away from the burning wrath coming for him.

_And when did Kurt show up anyway? He really needs to wear a bell or something…_

Finn really wanted to join them, because maybe Santana could cut him with her words, but the death glare he was facing from his little brother, made it clear that he might lose his head very soon.

"Do you have any idea of what you've done? Any idea at all?" Kurt gritted out as his hands, under the normal circumstances, would gently fly around to illustrate his point, were now wildly shooting off in different directions. When Finn remained silent, Kurt answered his own question, "You took away her choice of coming out the closet when she was prepared. Her own parents don't know…but I'm damn sure they will by the end of the day knowing how this town works."

"Really good executive thinking there, Finn," Kurt quipped, his voice dark and sarcastic," I'm sure Mr. Shue will pop up from the woodwork to applaud your _fantastic_ leadership abilities now."

"Dude, " Kurt's face turned a funny shade of purple,"It's not like she and Brittany haven't been flaunting what they have been doing. It's not like the end of the world, I mean, did you hear what Santana was saying about me?"Kurt cut him off by sharply jamming a finger into his chest, " _Doesn't matter, _" Kurt nearly screeched, his lips twisted into a fierce grimace.

"Satan could have called you...a enuch with a penchant for eating...cow manure as a strange addiction, you're the one that still crossed the line. I have noticed things have been.._tense_ between the two of you for the last few weeks but..."

Kurt stepped back, his fingers rubbing tiny circles into his forehead, his eyes a sharp green, _"I never thought_...I never thought, you would stoop so low as use someone's sexuality as a insult, _again._ I though you changed."

"But the joke's on me. I should know by now, a early caveman is unable to evolve into a proper homo sapiens," Kurt laughed shrilly and the undertone of bitterness were not lost on Finn, "I've made so many excuses for your behavior: _Finn didn't mean it, Finn's just going through some things right now, Finn is my brother, my family...he didn't mean to hurt my feelings when he looks at me like I'm a freak or refuses to touch me. It's my fault anyway because of my __**sick little crush**__ that happened because I was just so damnn lonely."_

"Take a chill pill, Kurt, " Finn ran his hands through his hair, making a few turfs of his hair stick out, "I'm sorry if things are still awkard...I don't mean it to be...but let's just talk about this at home. We'll just have a "bro talk" over warm milk...you can help me fix this...and I'll help you work out things with Rachel and Blaine, and everything will be okay." Finn flashed what he thought was his most charming smile.

Kurt stared at him as if growth spurted from his shoulder and stated that his name was Bob, "No. If you truly want to "fix things" you will do it on your own...I will suggest that it''s going to take more than a song and dance routine, and you might want to check out the meaning of the word you just threw around willy-nilly, because the dunce of our graduating class is _you_, not Britt."

"And me and you," Kurt gestured between them, " are no longer "bros." Try to insert yourself in my life again, call me "dude' once more, or ask me for help and I will break my pacifist stance to give you the bitch slap you royally deserve."

When Kurt stalked away, Finn released the breath that he had been holding in his chest, he called out to Kurt," Come on, Kurt...Please don't be like this..."

Kurt didn't respond.

Finn just watched him leave, _another person that doesn't listen to me or care about what I have to say._ He trudged over to his locker and half-heartly grabbed his textbook for Spanish IV, a class that he was going be twenty minutes late for. A slight tapping sensation to his bicep caught his attention, and Finn nearly stumbled into Blaine when he turned around.

"Hey, sorry man," Finn reached to grab onto Blaine's shoulder. Blaine simple chortled as he righted himself, "Nothing to be sorry about. I'm actually here to check up on….you look upset."

"Yeah," Finn shook his head, "Kurt tore me a new one for doing something really stupid."

Blaine's eyebrows slightly furrowed, 'We all make mistakes, Finn. Kurt isn't exactly _perfect_…."

'The key, " the ex-warbler said with a smile, " is to focus on how you can find the _right _solution to your problem and make sure it doesn't happen again."

"That's a different way of looking at things, " Finn shrugged, " I know I did something kind of…really messed up."

'Well, let me be the judge of that. Tell me what happened."

"You really want to hear my side of the story?"

'Of course I do, Finn," Blaine patted the taller teen's back, "I consider you a important friend. And _real friends and brothers_ listen to each other."

Finn completely missed the hint of maliciousness in Blaine's smile or the dark gleam of calculation in the shorter boy's eyes, that signaled a predator landing their desired prey, as he started to confide with Kurt's ex-boyfriend about how screwed up his life had become.

* * *

The heels of his boots were starting to slide against the tiled floor, as he picked up his speed to the point he almost smashed into locker number 408. Kurt didn't care. After catching the tail end of the Santana versus Finn smackdown, when he had just been heading to Mr. Fredrick's room to ask for help when it came to the latest set of calculus problems (besides being able to use a ruler or balance a check book, Kurt really didn't see the point of math, thank you very much), his priory was finding Santana.

There was apart of him already making up excuses for Finn's actions, but it was being drowned out by darker side of himself that demanded he march back over to Finn, and knee him in the gonads, for betraying their friend...and at the same stabbing him in the heart. Though Kurt was unsure of what exactly caused the fight in the first place, and yes, some of Santana's comments hit below the belt but...Finn had been subjected to worse at her taloned hands...so Kurt had no comprehension of why Finn took it so far...

But Kurt found himself not caring.

He had just seen the almighty Satan dissolve into a scared little kid, and all he wanted to do was rip out Finn's tongue or just sew his mouth shut forever, after he made sure Santana was okay.

Violence is never the answer

, Kurt reminded himself as he continued to jog in the direction of the gym that resided in the southside of the main building, where he thought Santana had run to in her bid for escape.

Kurt blamed the not so positive thoughts on his already wretched morning. To celebrate the day of the election, Rick, "the Stick" Nelson's cronies had decided to track him down and throw him into the nearest dumpster.

Let's just say there was a mass quantity of spoiled potato salad on the bottom from yesterday.

And then Rachel keep ambushing him to spin the tale of "woe is Blaine' and 'woe is Rachel Berry" or say, "I pulled out of the school election, to give you a chance, because I care about supporting you. I'm not the _selfish_ one around here, and the least you can is stop giving me a immature silent treatment and apologize for your..._disturbing behavior_."

It wasn't even 11:00am and Kurt was already exhausted.

Taking a left and then a right, Kurt passed the choir room, as his messenger bag slapped against his side. He continued down the depressingly neglected corridors that surrounded the art classrooms, until he reached the domain of **Jockland**: the weight room, the gym, and the woodshop.

He almost missed it, a faint whimpering coming from the girl's bathroom, located right by the gym. Kurt stared at the female decal for a second, it wasn't as if it was the first time he went into a woman's restroom to change after a slushie attack, or in search of santuary.

Kurt wasn't sure what he would find on the other side; wounded animals, full of adrenaline tended to be the most dangerous, and Santana might try to claw out his eyes for bothering her right now.

With a hesitant sigh, Kurt slowly crept in. Softly closing the bathroom door behind him, he took a few steps forward. Besides the standard bathroom stalls, the row of sinks and mirrors Kurt spied Santana crumpled on the floor, like a red and white gum wrapper, with her head buried in Brittany's lap. The blonde was muttering something to Santana, but she stopped once she noticed Kurt. Brittany's arms clutched more tightly around Santana, and her posture transformed into tense and stiff.

"Go away," Brittany hissed, her normally soft and tender eyes were now hard and dark, "Stay away."

"I just wanted to help," Kurt made the universal gesture for "I come in peace," but Brittany still looked at him as if he just threatened to skin Lord Tubbington alive.

"I can take care of her, " Brittany actually _growled_ at him.

Kurt couldn't help to be a little freaked out. Seeing Brittany like this was more terrifying than Santana at her most vicious. He took a step back and swallowed, " If you need me..."

At the word, "me," Santana slowly lifted her head. Kurt observed her face was clean from the slushie, but wet, and her uniform was already stained.

Coach Sylvester is going to kill her.

Santana blinked a few times before fixing Kurt with a bewildered stare. "You heard the little lady, move your ass, twinkle toes. You don't exactly belong here." It was meant to be gruff and threatening, but to Kurt's ears it just sounded uneasy and stilted. _Fake._

Biting the inside of his cheek, Kurt walked over to the bathroom, his hand grasping at the doorknob.

_I should be upset about this...but its obvious the wound is too fresh. There were times in my darkest moments, that I wanted someone to comfort me, to listen and not judge me, but that's a tall order. Most people are only capable of hovering around, flashing looks of pity, or giving a lecture about what you should do to fix things. That wasn't my intention but its probably what Santana expects. Especially now that her tender underbelly has been espoused, which has to be her greatest fear and worse nightmare combined._

_I just thought we were sort of friends...that she trusted me. I guess I thought wrong._

_At least she has Brittany._

Opening the door, Kurt heard Santana say quietly, " You know before I...came in here, I ran into _everyone_," everyone seemed to imply the rest of the members of glee club by the tone of her voice, "and they just stared at me as if I was nothing, like they haven't been publically humiliated before."

'You're the only one who came after me...so thanks a lot, pretty pony."

"I owe you."

"Friends don't "owe" each other for caring," Kurt said as he walked out of the girl's bathroom with a tiny smile.

The smile didn't last long, as he started to walk to Mr. Fredrick's room (he hadn't made it past the first problem and it was sort of due tomorrow) and he was interrupted by a high feminine voice, "There you are Kurt! I've looking for you everywhere."

Turning around, he was greeted by the sight of Ms. Pillsbury trotting towards him, in a admirable 1940's style dress done in shades of lilac and royal blue. She tilted her head to the side, and her big, sincere doe-eyes looked at him with concern, " Since this is your only free period today, I thought we could start our first counseling session..."

_Oh, yippy skippy._

* * *

Kurt didn't have a problem with Ms. Pillsbury. Despite her not so mature behavior at his audition, she seemed to care about everyone and their problems equally. It was just her own mental difficulties and her hang up about Mr. Schuster that prevented her from being _effective_ in providing help.

Sitting in the provided chair, Kurt's legs were crossed. He was trying his best not accidentally tap his shoe against her desk. After the "Bambi incident" he really didn't want to cause her more psychological stress.

Looking up from his hands neatly folded in his lap, Kurt's glass eyes met Ms. Pillsbury's brown before ducking away again. They had been sitting in silence for the last ten minutes.

It was starting to get _awkward. _

Kurt really didn't know what to say here. He didn't feel ready to examine his relationship with Blaine or talk about why he quit glee club. And he really didn't want to have a conversation with someone would spill his personal thoughts to Mr. Schuester.

So he kept his mouth shut.

Emma Pillsbury hesitantly broke the silence, "I would like to talk about why you had a "outburst" or the events that lead up to it, but this time is for you. We can talk about _anything_ you want, Kurt."

Scanning the insane pamphlets that were lined up behind her desk, and hearing the clock slowly count down the seconds, Kurt sighed, "Will everything I say remain..." Kurt gestured to the room, " in here?"

'Of course!" Her eyebrows rose almost to her hairline, "I would never share your private thoughts," and noting her sincere expression, Kurt started to talk. at least to prevent dying from the awkwardness of being trapped here for the next twenty minutes before he had to go to AP Biology.

'I broke up with Blaine on Saturday, " Kurt began, as he smoothed the imaginary lines from his pants.

'I'm sorry to hear that, Kurt, " Ms. Pillsbury remarked, her tone compassionate and soft, "I know that must be hard. He was your...first boyfriend, right?"

He was my whole world once upon a time, proving I haven't make progress on going after the right type of guy.

"Yes," Kurt mumbled.

"Well, that has to be upsetting, " she shifted in her seat and started to jot something down on a notepad.

"Not...really, Things haven't going well for awhile. It seemed to be the right thing to do, but Blaine disagrees...and that has been the "upsetting factor," Kurt folded his arms across his chest, rubbing the fading bruise on his arm as he slumped down further down into the chair, not giving a damn about proper posture.

Ms. Pillsbury blinked, then scanned his face with a critical eye, " That's a very mature outlook, Kurt. Most teenagers can't handle their first breakup with much grace...maybe that's why Blaine is struggling. I can understand that might be frustrating. However, we could have a sit down...and talk this through to help Blaine move on and address your anger at him for not being as 'accepting' in a healthier fashion..."

" No, I don't feel safe being in the same room with him, " Kurt blurted out before he could stop himself. He cupped his hand across his mouth before turning away from Emma Pillsbury.

"Kurt, " Emma leaned in, her voice stern and slightly commanding, " has Blaine threatened you or hurt you?"

Kurt remained silent, his fingers dancing over his knees. while Emma pushed on, " when you said things weren't doing well, what did you exactly mean?"

"It wasn't healthy, " Kurt admitted softly, "Blaine did things that weren't alright or okay by most normal people's standards."

"Oh, Kurt, " and there it was the flash of pity in her eyes that made Kurt recoil, and visibly flinch, "of all the students here, I didn't expect you to be involved in something like this, but it happens. It isn't your fault, " she babbled on, until she saw the look on Kurt's face.

"Sorry, this isn't my area of expertise," she sighed, " but I admit, you have changed since Blaine Anderson transferred, less outgoing. I should have been paying more attention."

She's sorry? She believes me?

Apparently, he voiced his thoughts out loud, and Ms. Pillsbury sighed, "Of course I believe you. I know what type of person you are...and I can tell when someone's lying." She opened a drawer and pulled out a folder. She carefully pulled out a sheet of paper and pushed it towards Kurt.

"I find it easier to write down my feelings on difficult topics sometimes, " Kurt scanned over the handout, filled with questions. Pulling out a pen from his bag, Kurt tapped it against his lips. They were personal, and Kurt didn't exactly feel like sharing the details because it would make it them real. He had to admit what a _fool_ he had been about Blaine.

But it was a step that he needed to take, and despite his misgivings, it seemed Ms. Pillsbury was a person to talk about this..._topic_. Kurt started to write his answer to the first question before asking, " Why didn't you think I was the "type" to be involved in a relationship like this?"

"You have always appeared to be confident and a strong person. People do admire you, you know. I do."

Kurt slightly smiled at the compliment, but it quickly faded.

I guess I'm a better actor then I thought.

"I sort…of don't like myself. I don't think I'm worth much….And having someone as my boyfriend allowed me to forget my doubts and fears. I felt normal for once. But I guess it has nothing to do with being gay, just because it was _me_…my first love turned into a twisted, dark fairytale in the vein of Angela Carter," Kurt said slowly as he continued to work.

Emma was quiet for a moment, " Everyone has those types of thoughts. But you know that tiny, destructive voice that lives in your head is lying to you. You are _worth_ something. And it takes immense strength to admit when something is wrong with your relationship and leave."

_It doesn't feel like I'm strong. I allowed this to happen. I was desperate, lonely, and pathetic. Seen by the fact, that I walked into the lion's den without thinking. It's like that story where the girl goes into the woods and falls in with the enchanted elf that lives there, despite him having green eyes that can devour her whole. She remains with him, even though she can see the sticks weaving together to form her new cage when he turns her into a songbird._

_Only at the last minute she strangles him in his sleep with his hair and let's the other women go._

Maybe I left Blaine, and after this year I will never have to see him again but he is always going to be there in the back of my head. For the overly, critical voice in my head sounds just like him. He's never going to be erased or dead in my mind.

And I'm not sure what to do about that.

Ms. Pillsbury awkwardly changes the subject as Kurt continues to write, about how his college applications are going and she suggests that even though he doesn't need it for graduation, he should pick up one of the open art classes to fill up his free period, if he is sure he doesn't want to return to glee club.

Kurt chooses to change his schedule to include mixed media before leaving and handing over the completed worksheet.

* * *

In one third of all teenage relationships, there is at least one incident of physical or sexual abuse.

It was a disturbing and alarming statistic in Emma's eyes, but it was reality. A part of the teenager dating world that parents didn't want to see or acknowledge. However, it was something she was forced to watch over and over again, with just different actresses and actors playing the same tired, rundown roles.

There were the obvious cases, that everyone noticed to one degree to another, and spread the news that Ms. So and So, had badly covered her black eye with a thick layer of makeup instead of providing support or compassion to the poor girl. A brutal truth, that spoke to Sue Sylvester's attitude about the importance of culling the fold of the weak and useless; that teenagers were just hormonal wild animals that focused only on mating, eating, and showing their dominance through power plays to carve out a niche for themselves in the social pyramid.

But Sue isn't exactly the most stable person.

More likely, teenagers are just too wrapped in their own pain to sense the distress or misery of their peers. That's why I'm here, to be a safe person they can trust, who will always listen to them no matter what, and provide them with whatever support I can.

Though abusive relationships weren't exactly her forte, through her years at WMHS, Emma had developed an eye for the more subtle cases. She was able to recognize the girls whose once bright personalities (and often along with their dress, hairstyle, and body language) slowly transformed to the form of wilting flowers that would drop their remaining wrinkled petals at the slightest breeze.

Of course, girls or women weren't the only victims of abuse.

Will's marriage to that deranged woman called "Terri" was proof that women were just as capable of being emotionally and mentally toxic to their partners. Emma would easily picture Terri as being violent; the woman was sort of scrappy, in the fashion of a junkyard mutt who survived on rotten garbage. Physical assault usually led to the most attention or concern, but there many different forms of abuse that could be inflicted. The scars of mind games and verbal attacks in particular, ran deeper; those types of wounds couldn't exactly be soothed away with a balm or ointment and would easily fester without monitoring.

And then there was Kurt and his situation.

In the back of Emma's mind, Kurt had always been one of the few Glee club members she didn't have to worry about. Sure, there was the "Bambi incident," his father's heart attack, and the bullying at Karofsky's hands, but Kurt always managed to recover on his own without assistance.

Kurt was mature. Kurt was level-headed.

_'I sort…of don't like myself. I don't think I'm worth much….And having someone as my boyfriend allowed me to forget my doubts and fears."_

_"I felt normal for once. But I guess it has nothing to do with being gay, just because it was me…my first love turned into a twisted, dark fairytale in the vein of Angela Carter"_

Kurt was in pain.

A simple statement that undercut the seriousness of the situation, but summarized the main point. Kurt had always managed on his own, because he was forced to. He was guarded (Emma was shocked Kurt decided to talk about anything personal with her at all today) because it was necessary. He was mature because losing his mother at a young age demanded it. All of it, all of Kurt's behavior was a shield he could use to protect himself and no one could see how he was truly feeling.

There had always been nagging thoughts at the edge of Emma's brain of where Kurt actually stayed when Burt Hummel was in the hospital or what exactly was the whole story between Kurt and David since the one time she observed the football player brutally shove Kurt into a locker after "checking" him out in a way that was meant for a bar not school…

This year seemed to be better with the arrival of Kurt's courteous boyfriend on campus. Blaine Anderson was a perfect gentleman, and Emma had thought they made an adorable couple. Sometimes though, Emma noticed a few of Blaine's comments that appeared to be tactful, on the surface, had a slight edge to them. After more careful consideration, his statements were hurtful. And maybe she wasn't as supportive of Kurt's audition of _West Side Story _as she could have been, but it did seem a little fishy that Blaine just _happened _to have auditioned with one of Tony's songs….

_Something is off about him._

_And Kurt wouldn't be so unsettled and lash out unless he truly felt like he was being pushed into a corner with no escape hatch…_

Emma sighed, and spread a generous blob of sanitizer gel on her hand, rubbing it in a clockwork motion before peering down at the checklist in front of her, the one she had asked Kurt to fill out for her before leaving

1. Does your partner tease you in a hurtful way in private or in public?

Yes, I felt sometimes that I couldn't do anything right by his standards, and his piffy little comments about my performances were not 'constructive feedback."

2. Does your partner call you names such as "stupid" or "bitch"?

Yes, I don't see 'dummy" as a pet name especially with Blaine's condescending tone.

3. Does your partner act jealous of your friends, family, or co-workers?

There have been moments, especially when it came to Finn because of my old crush, or when I tried to talk to David after prom, Blaine seemed to get upset. But it mainly seemed like he was trying to take over my relationships to get other's people attention away from me.

4. Does your partner get angry about clothes you wear or how you style your hair?

Not really…Blaine doesn't see me as sexy unless he's drunk. But I know I had become more sedate in my fashion choices to fit in better with Blaine.

5. Does your partner check-up on you by calling, driving by, or getting someone else to?

N/A

6. Has your partner gone places with you or sent someone just to "keep an eye on you"?

After everyone thought I was cheating on him with Sam.

7. Does your partner insist on knowing who you talk with on the phone?

N/A

8. Does your partner blame you for his problems or his bad mood?

I felt like I was his emotional punching bag, while he was never there when I needed someone to listen to talk to about my problems.

9. Does your partner get angry so easily that you feel like you're "walking on eggshells"?

Blaine has a temper, though it was usually not directed at me, it was something I was worried about and I couldn't talk to him about issues I was having with our relationship because of it or the fact he refused to listen to me.

10. Does your partner hit walls, drive dangerously, or do other things to scare you?

Yes

11. Does your partner often drink or use drugs?

When he drinks, I don't think Blaine can stop himself which makes me nervous.

12. Does your partner insist that you drink or use drugs with him?

N/A

13. Have you lost friends or no longer see some of your family because of your partner?

If Sam was still around, I don't think Blaine would have liked me hanging out with him. And I have withdrawn from my friends so I could spend more time with Blaine because I thought he needed my attention more.

14. Does your partner accuse you of being interested in someone else?

He said I cheated on him with someone even though he was the one who slept with that specific someone. Does that count?

15. Does your partner read your mail, go through your purse, or other personal papers?

Not that I know of ….

16. Does your partner keep money from you, keep you in debt, or have "money secrets?"

N/A

17. Has your partner kept you from getting a job, or caused you to lose a job?

N/A

18. Has your partner sold your car, made you give up your license, or not repaired your car?

N/A

19. Does your partner threaten to hurt you, your children, family, friends, or pets?

He threatened me…for not giving him another chance.

20. Does your partner force you to have sex when you do not want to?

When he was drunk…he tried, and if things were slightly different…he might have succeeded.

21. Does your partner force you to have sex in ways that you do not want to?

I've been the one in control of our sex life, but I think if I ever gave up just a little bit of that control…that might have happened

22. Does your partner threaten to kill you or himself if you leave?

N/A

23. Is your partner like "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," acting one way in front of other people and another way when you are alone?

Yes, and it makes me feel like I'm being 'gas-lighted' because everyone sees him as perfect and me as the person that should be grateful for having him around. It makes me physically ill.

Kurt's candid answers were rather frightening.

The fact that Kurt could identify a "yes" to more than five of the questions was a clear indication of an abusive relationship. Emma still believed that Kurt wasn't telling her everything or perhaps he still had blinders on when it came to certain aspects of his relationship with Blaine. With this information, along with what Kurt said earlier, a clearer picture formed in Emma's mind of what Kurt and Blaine acted like behind closed doors.

The incident in the choir room was why Kurt sent to her; maybe it wasn't the best course of action to take in order to vent his frustrations, but Emma could see the moves on the metaphorical chessboard that Blaine made in order to push Kurt to those extremes.

Kurt rejected him; Blaine struck back with a tactic of emotional manipulation in order to paint himself as a victim.

Kurt volleyed back to defend himself.

And now, the ball was back in Blaine's court…Emma knew from there things were going to escalate, for someone like Blaine wouldn't let go without a fight or collateral damage. After lunch, Emma planned on contacting the leader of a shelter in Columbus, who might provide some resources that could be helpful to rebuilding Kurt's self-worth, and calling Blaine's parents because Blaine needed more help than she could provide, plus suggest that Blaine returned to Dalton to give both the boys space.

In the past, Emma knew that she allowed her own OCD to prevent her from focusing on the needs of her students. This was a bright new year for her as well, and she refused to leave Kurt to fight this alone.

Not this time.

**Knock. Knock. Knock**

Looking up, Emma could see through the frosted glass of her office's windows. Will's beaming smile and she couldn't help but to send a grin in return as she ushered him in. With her hands excitedly fluttering, she quickly organized her desk until it was blank slate.

'So, I was thinking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunch date? I already cut off the crusts, Em," Will dangled a completely sanitary and organized bento like box in one hand.

"Sounds perfect!" Emma couldn't help but to gush, " Just give me second." She opened her bottom drawer and removed her purse along with a disinfect spray to be used on the surface of her desk. Will moved closer as she finished her ritual of cleaning before heading off, "Did Kurt come by for his first session? Do you have any idea of what's _wrong_ with him?"

Emma paused her finger against the release button of the spray, and quirked her eyebrows in surprise at Will. Sure, they discussed their shared concerns about certain students, but Emma never shared what was divulged in her office. It was against her principles and she could lose her job for revealing that sort of information about a student. Will knew that.

And why is he labeling Kurt as 'wrong" here? I would think Will would be more open-minded and be more concerned with Kurt's well-being….

"Hmmmmph," was Emma's reply as she wiped off the spray.

"I know I'm pressing against your professional boundaries, but since Kurt's performance…the low morale and conflict is going to tear the club apart. Especially Blaine is so distraught about what happened: he blames himself…" Will trailed off, snaking his hand through his hair, "And I'm not suggesting Kurt and Blaine get back together, but they really need to sit down and talk out their issues, before Sectionals…." He smiled at her, but this time it looked greasy, as if Will had donned the suit of a traveling snake-oil salesman.

Emma's smile grew tighter and forced in response.

Blaine is distraught? Blaine blames himself? Maybe right now he's playing contrite because his favorite punching bag walked away, but it's not real. It doesn't mean anything. And sitting down and trying to have a 'rational" discussion with someone like Blaine right now is a not a good idea, even with a mediator present because it would be led Kurt down the path of being back together with Blaine.

_Unless that's what Will wants….but he should be able to see through Blaine's behavior and try to protect all his students. That's the Will I fell in love with._

Emma pursed her lips in a thin line, "Winning a show choir competition isn't everything."

"I know it isn't," Will said, as Emma put away the spray, and pumped another dollop of sanitizer on her hand, "but's its Blaine, Finn, and Rachel's senior year and they need to be able to focus without out this drama. If Kurt apologized it would help or if I knew what happened and explained to them so this doesn't get any more out of hand."

_It's Kurt's senior year, too._

Emma said nothing for a moment, but she crossed her arms, and stared at Will, "I can't tell you any personal information about a student that came into my confidence, " she said firmly, " If you can't respect_ that_, _respect me_, then, you need to leave my sight._ Now_."

She walked out of her office, her lilac kitten heels _click-clacking_ against the cracked and stained tiled floor of the hallway. Emma could hear Will coming after her, his heavier tread making a clatter, " I didn't mean it like that…."

She spun around to look at Will's uneasy expression, "Yes, you did. It's also clear to- me as a teacher you should be impartial, but you're taking sides. If that's the case, then I'm going to be Kurt's advocate because _someone_ needs to support him right now." With a shake of her head, Emma stormed away in manner that would put Rachel Berry's dramatic exists to shame.

Will just stood there with the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in one hand, "Wait, does that mean no lunch date?"

* * *

The day had been full of annoyances for Sebastian Smythe.

There was the Latin quiz he bombed because he stayed up all last night trying to get Kewpie's attention. When Sebastian tried to call Casper during his _precious_ lunch period, it became apparent that Hummel blocked his number, which resulted in Sebastian stumbling around with "WTF' emblazoned on his features for the rest of the day to the point he gave up a solo to Trent, of all people, in their practice performance of "Chasing Cars," by Snow Patrol.

And now, the only Midwestern he was aware of, who dressed and acted like a stoned out surfer in Sebastian's opinion, was leaning over the evergreen granite island that dominated _his _kitchen eating the last of _his_ favorite cookies (the peanut butter ones with the Hershey kisses on top, that Evangeline had brought instead of trying to make them herself, for once, and Sebastian didn't have to force himself to eat blackened lumps...out of pity)

Sebastian narrowed his eyes.

This is going to be fun. Today is the day, that I go for the jugular and Zach stops his awkward courting dance around my sister. As a Smythe she can clearly do better than this….piece of riff-raff.

"Yo, " Zach said between bites of the cookie before ripping off the Hershey kiss

and plopping it in his mouth, "Caliban. What's up?"

Calbian….

_Yeah, the role that was supposed to help me get into Kurtsie's skinny jeans. I'm not sure that's going to happen now…_

"Oh, wow…I guess ya didn't check the casting listing yet…." Zach trailed over and patted Sebastian on the back, and said sincerely "Well. Congrats…man…you made it."

'Like that is some surprise," Sebastian scoffed as he took a step away from Zach's hand, and removed the standard Dalton blazer, and casually tossed it over the seat of the nearest stool, as if it was tainted by Zach's plebian touch (which it totally was).

'For me it was, I didn't expect to get a leading role, but Evie," _what a stupid nickname,_ Sebastian couldn't help but click his tongue against his upper palate, "was going to get a great role once she decided she wanted to try out." In the corner of Sebastian's vision, he could make out Evangeline skulking behind the open refrigerator door. She slipped out with a carton of milk in one hand, her hazel eyes focused on the countertop . As she poured the milk into two mugs, Evangeline twisted her harmonica with her fingertip, as she spun it against the island.

Playing with that toy was supposed to be a effective coping skill for Evangeline to use when it came to dealing with daily events that might trigger a need to drink,." Sebastian wasn't sure if it worked or not, but it was a total tell if Evangeline was nervous.

As he stared at the twirling harmonica, a few of the pieces flew together, " You're the one that was cockblocking me last night, with dollface."

Evangeline raised a single eyebrow, and gulped down some of her milk, "I'm pretty sure you managed to "cockblock" yourself without my help," she said wryly.

"Sexually harassing someone until they turn a beet-red, isn't exactly the best seduction technique, " Zach added with a snicker, " Mr. Nonfat Grande Mocha is a classy guy. Ya are going to have to work for it, but props for owning up to ya crush."

" I won 64 dollars and 27 cents. at the office pool, because I knew ya were going to crack before Halloween," Zach beamed as he grabbed the other glass of milk, with his fingers lingering for a few seconds too long around Evangeline's hand.

"Look, at you finally joining the ranks of the filthy rich, you friend-zoned loser, " Sebastian muttered under his breath as Evangeline bumped Zach's fist, and he suppressed the need to gag.

"Don't worry, Bastian, " Evangeline grinned sweetly, which was a cause for concern in Sebastian's book, " I didn't reveal any of your _deep, dark_ secrets, like your obsession with eating chunky peanut on everything or your favorite movie being _The Princess Bride_…."

"_Hey_, I only like it for the poisoning scene and the pirate was kind of sexy."

'_Sure_," Evangeline rolled her eyes as her and Zach started breaking out into a giggle fit. Sebastian didn't really understand what was so funny. Standing there, awkwardly, as they started to mutter about their plans for a kung-fu film fest and ordering pineapple pizza, Sebastian walked away to his bedroom, with a pronounced grunt.

Zach shook his head at the younger boy, before turning to smirk at Evangeline "It's obvious ya the one with the brains in the family."

* * *

There were things that Sebastian needed to be doing like studying for the AP Physics test covering chapters six, seven, and eight (which he hadn't bother to read yet), translating his assigned section of _Metamorphoses_ by Ovid, creating flashcards for AP Psychology or maybe coming up with songs that fit with the theme of "spirit" for Sectionals.

Youtube was unfairly distracting him.

Since Jeff had introduced him to Kurt Hummel's video, he had lost count of how many times he watched the stupid thing. It didn't help that Kurt's friend "Puckzilla" had added a line in the about section, " My boy Hummel needs to be sexed up so if you are in the central Ohio area, please stop by," and the comments had gotten..._dirtier_, and Sebastian was sure if Kurt was aware of the video he would pulled it down by now, due to the threat to his womanly virtue or reputation or whatever other stupid reason dollface could come up with.

And Sebastian also believed the guy who disclosed where Kurtsie lived had been dropped on his head as a infant. Several times.

But now he was getting bored with this particular video, and as he patted Milo, who was curled up on his desk, Sebastian looked up more videos of the New Direction's performances. Before when he researched the Warbler's "competition" ( _what a loose definition of the term, haha) _Sebastian hadn't focused on any specific vocalist. The only one that seemed to be worth any merit of concern was the pint-size version of Barbra, while everyone else faded in the background.

Now, he just wanted to see what else creampuff could do.

There is nothing wrong with being curious. It's not he's apart of the flawed Nude Erections anymore.

As he skimmed through the posted videos, Sebastian found it difficult to find Hummel. Once in awhile, Kurtsie managed to sing a verse before he was pushed into the background when Lurch and Thumbelina took over. Especially the video taken at Nationals, with the two leads kissing, made his partially digested hamburger attempt to crawl up his throat.

If I ever have doubts about my homosexuality during a midlife crisis, I just need to rewatch this again.

Sebastian continued to scroll through the videos, until he noticed that most of them were posted by a certain **JacobBIsrael_Berryluver**. Perhaps due to a desire to continue to push off his responsibilities or again that terrible curse of curiosity, he clicked on the link to the weirdo's blog.

It was apparent that Jacob Ben Israel was WMHS's Perez Hiltion's creepier equivalent. And a full section of his blog was devoted to the happenings of the glee club. As Sebastian suspected, the rag tag group of singers were the bottom of the public school's social ecosystem.

For a club of only twelve members, they certainly get a extreme amount of bad press. Do the rest of the study body have anything better to do then gossip about a pack of losers? I guess not; Lima must be pretty damn boring after hay ride season is over.

On the main page of the New Direction's section, there was only one video posted, that was dated around two years ago. From what Sebastian could tell, all the members were wearing blue, and there were only six performers. One of which was Kurt.

Sebastian pressed play and his whole perception about powerpuff changed.

_Really, "Push it,"? And I get shit for trying to add a little sexualized boy band moves. into our performances. They are all basically pelvic thrusting into the air...even Kurtsie._

Sebastian froze as he continued to watch.

_Fuck. I want that on that on my dick, right now._

Sebastian acknowledged it felt wrong to have such feeling of lust towards the two years younger version of Kurt( it didn't help his mind labeled the Kurt in the video as baby!Kurtsie and god, princess's hair has developed a erection in the last two years). But if fate developed a different path for the sophomore version of himself and he ended up meeting Casper, especially after watching that sort of performance, he would been on Kurtsie before the countertenor knew what hit him.

Sebastian wasn't exactly a virgin at the age of 15 anyway. And the movements dollface was doing (the shaking of his pert little ass, the swaying of his hips, and the way he was basically touching himself on stage) the definition of sinful. He couldn't miss the way Kurt confidently crawled on his hands and knees across the stage.

_Smoking hot._

_Whatever I said about Kurt being a prude needs to be removed from the record, because this is no old Betty White but a little sex kitten. Blaine said Kurt was boring with a capital, "B" but I bet Hummel didn't want to show this side of himself, because how judgemental and repressed old Blandy Bear can be. Not like Blando could handle that sort of fire, without getting seriously burned. Not like me._

Leaning back in his desk chair, Sebastian quickly unbuckled his belt and pushed down his khaki pants, and started to palm himself through his boxers as he imagined a older Kurt with a more chiseled face, and muscular frame starting to shimmy in front of him.

_Hummel would give me a little show, wouldn't he? Tease me with what I wanted, slowly stripping and showing slivers of milky skin until there is nothing left. He wears too many damn layers, but in this case it would just build up the antic of what would happen next._

He enjoyed the friction of his boxers against his hard cock, but he fished it out, and started to stroke Smythe Junior, at a faster (slightly rougher) rate as a he pictured a naked Kurtsie, on his lap him, pushing him down, and nibbling on his neck. Sebastian liked being in control, liked being the one to bring the random of the night into a writhing mess beneath him. It was way to point and say, "Look what I did," but it wouldn't be that way with Kurt.

Kurt would fight him for it (Sebastian though knew he would eventually win), and that idea by itself was exciting.

As he brought he thumb up on a upstroke, to circle the head of his cock, Sebastian came. Catching his breath as the shock of pleasure flooded his entire system, he slowly reached out to grab a box of tissues to wipe up the hot, cum that spilled on his hands and his lower stomach.

Milo scrunched up his pink nose in distaste as he turned his attention to trill at the birds who came too close to the window ledge.

With a content sigh. Sebastian focused on the computer screen in front on him. Besides the main page for the glee club, there were tabs for each member of the glee club. Sebastian clicked on the tab for Kurt. There were two video here, one that had something to do with prom, so Sebastian played the other.

In slime green letters, "Slush-O-Rama" played across the screen before image of Kurt appeared and then the younger version of Kurt was splashed in the face by a blueberry colored slushie. It continued to happen over and over again. Sebastian stopped counting after the 24th time. In the background, he could hear other students laughing and cheering while throwing out slurs like, "Homo Hummel, " "fairy," "lady boy," "faggot," and "queer."

Sebastian felt something tighten in his chest. There were things he remembered from his own childhood that were almost as unpleasant. Like when he was fifth grade, and someone had carved "fag" into his locker (and he at the time he didn't know what the word meant) or when kids started to throw eggs at his mother's car. Eventually, he fixed it and made the individuals' responsible pay dearly.

_Karma is a cold-hearted bitch, after all._

Princess seemed to fight back with insults, but by the end of the video, when another student, who was twice his size (and oddly familiar looking) hip-checked him into a locker and slushie him at the same time. Kurt's face expressed only cold. resignation as he slowly picked himself off the floor.

An expression Sebastian was familiar with, since there was a time it was always directed at him.

_Mitchell Zielinski._

_It's been awhile since I thought about him._

* * *

_Sebastian was starting to have dreams._

_Everyone has dreams, of course. Most of the time, Sebastian vaguely remembered them as he was jolted awake by the "brrring' of the alarm or his mother shaking him awake when he slept through it (which was at least three mornings out of the school week) and the comforting smell of her Chanel No.5 perfume wafting in the air. The echoes that were left behind from his dream state always appeared to be misshapen shards that told stories about a universe where everyone was a stick figure or robotic cats ruled the world. They were the normal, surreal experiences that his brain managed to come up with while the rational side of him slumbered._

_Except for these new dreams, didn't seem random or whimsical at all._

_These fantasies made perfect, glorious sense._

_Usually in the beginning of this new type of dream, there was a just a naked male torso. Nothing else. The edges of his vision were cloudy with a fuzzy film that prevented Sebastian from seeing beyond. Not like he actually cared where he was in this dream state for this body was for him to touch, lick, and kiss. Just being able to touch someone like this without the barrier of clothes…felt so taboo and exciting. Sebastian always recalled the time he tried to play 'doctor" with his best friend Cameron, and how his mother has interrupted at the last minute saying, "How about we wait to play that game until we are older, boys? Let's have some ice cream and watch some Scooby-Doo instead."_

_Cameron's favorite cartoon was Scooby-Doo so he eagerly went along with the new plan (plus the bowl of strawberry ice cream sweetened the deal). Sebastian had stomped away to his bedroom, feeling like he had been "blocked" from something special and wonderful, which really, really, really, really sucked, and didn't seem quite fair._

_But now in his dreams, Sebastian was able to do whatever he wanted. After a few minutes, a jumble of pale, slender, but toned limbs would come into focus. Eventually, a heart-shaped face with a pointy chin, a small curved scar that cut through the dream's boy's left eyebrow, a pair of slate grey eyes staring back up at him with awe, and a shy smile on the other boy's pink lips would come into view._

_It was at this point Sebastian would wake up with cum starting to cool in his boxers. Even though it was just a dream, Sebastian knew it was a wonderful but cutting lie. Yes, he was granted the privilege of holding the boy in his dreams, but the real life version of the boy would knee him in the balls before allowing that to happen._

_It was a simple fact: Mitchell Zielinski hated him._

_The other seventh grader would always hate him and he honestly had several good reasons._

_Mainly, the hatred stemmed from Sebastian's inability to stop himself from making Mitchell's life a living hell. He tried a couple times to be the polite gentleman, that mother expected him to behave as but that got boring since Mitch the Bitch wouldn't get all riled up (which was hot), or Mitch would look at him as if he lost his marbles if Sebastian dared to be 'nice.'_

_Technically, it is Mitch's fault for being the only boy at the Rothchild Day School "interesting" enough to catch my eye. With his refusal to wear the standard grey blazer, his insistence on spiking his thick, black hair, his hobby of coloring his nails black with a Sharpie during Algebra and still understanding the material completely, whose drawings inspire our hippie art teacher to almost pass out from their greatness (while I receive a bland, "Good effort, Smythe" which can be translated into 'you suck, kid."), his slight accent that causes him to stumble over certain words, and the fact that he is the only one around that speaks French fluently, besides myself. (which Mitch has stopped speaking in once he figured out I could understand him. Interestingly, Mitch has a rather nasty gutter mouth) he just stands out from the crowd as someone special._

_Which is annoying, because at the same time Mitch manages to make me look bad and want to kiss his full, plump lips. Again, it's not at all cool. I don't like not being in control of my feelings or my freaking thoughts._

_But when it comes down to it, I have the power here, not him. I didn't spend the last two years clawing my way up the social heap through blackmail, spreading rumors, and breaking Gerald Black's nose when he called me a "faggot' and proving that I'm just as 'manly" as anyone else…I just won't be anyone's competition when we are forced to dance with the girls at Waterford Academy._

_In the end, I'm a popular lacrosse player while Mitch is a freakish scholarship kid who will eventually give up and go back to mediocre public school where he belongs along with the cockroaches._

_It doesn't matter that Mitch dislikes me or…hates me. Everyone else enjoys my company; everyone that matters._

_And Mitch's best quality anyway, is how cute he gets when I pick and prod him; it's like poking the side of a beehive and never getting stung, but reaping all the rewards of the sweet, delicious honey inside_

_No matter what Sebastian did though he still couldn't drive away the thoughts of holding Mitchell's hand, giggling into the shorter boy's ear, and cuddling on the sofa while watching some stupid movie that they weren't paying attention to. It wasn't like the idea of liking a boy was a problem, his family kept hammering the point that "gay is okay" until Sebastian felt like he was going to throw up glitter covered rainbows, but Sebastian had always believed that he wanted someone similar to himself, not some emo, artsy type. It really didn't help that despite everything he dished out. Mitchell came back with more. The fact that the boy kept trudging back to school every day, and the thoughts of Mitchell never leaving his skull, just increased Sebastian's frustration level._

_Due to his dreams, and his conflicted feelings (and probably some overactive hormones were to blame as well), Sebastian found himself peering over the nearest bookstall in the school library, watching Mitchell intensely scribbling something in his notebook, while obnoxiously large, teal headphones were covering his ears completely. Sebastian tip-toed closer, the shuffle of his loafers against the royal blue carpet muffled by whatever music the slender boy was blasting. Even at a reasonable distance away Sebastian could make out the lyrics:_

_"I'm the voice inside your head _

_You refuse to hear _

_I'm the face that you have to face_

_ Mirrored in your stare I'm what's left, _

_I'm what's right_

_I'm the enemy _

_I'm the hand that will take you down _

_Bring you to your knees _

_So who are you? _

_Yeah, who are you? _

_Y__eah, who are you? _

_Yeah, who are you?"_

_It wasn't exactly a tune Sebastian was familiar with, but he openly admitted he was more of a Top Forty type of guy. Whatever it was seemed to on the angry side of the musical spectrum, and just a little bit emo in Sebastian's opinion. An opinion he was about to share with Mitchell once he captured the boy's attention. Swooping in before Mitchell could react, Sebastian snatched the notebook from his grasp._

_Plopping himself down on the long study table, Sebastian crowed, "Let's see what the macabre poem of the day is." Mitchell said nothing for a moment, as he removed his headphones. Usually he tried to get his precious notebook back right away when they played this game, but his eyes were only focused on the whorls in the blond wood of the table, his fingers slightly trembling._

_"Pierdol sie," Mitchell muttered, with a bite that Sebastian didn't expect._

_"Excuse me, but are you babbling again in that barbarian language, gayface?" Sebastian shook his head before scoffing, "It's rather rude to do that, when no one intelligent can understand you."_

_Mitchell removed his gaze from the table in front of him to meet Sebastian's smirking mouth. His grey eyes were narrowed and their color was similar to storm clouds that rolled in before lighting crashed to earth, 'Fuck a duck, Smythe," Mitchell sighed, "You got your smarky one-liner in for the day, so how about you scram and give me back my book?"_

_'No," was Sebastian's immediate response, as he focused on the page that Mitchell had been working on. He heard an almost desperate plea of, " Please…" but Sebastian paid it no attention, as he looked at the almost photographic drawing, not the poem he expected, of Christophe Walker, the ring wing for the soccer team._

_It pretty much screamed crush with big, fat hearts._

_Sebastian's shoulders tensed and he could feel his heart beating rapidly, suppressing to the urge to scrub his face or run his hands though his hair, he spat out with venom, "This is what you didn't want me to see?" He twirled the notebook around so Mitchell was forced to look at his drawing. Immediately, blotches of red marred Mitchell's skin._

_He couldn't help himself from cackling, "Chris is hot…but he's totally out of your league and straight," **lie, **"bitchlet. If I show him this I bet after a nice, long laugh he'll string you up the flag pole."_

_When Mitchell remained quiet, his fingers curling around the rest of his notebooks and textbooks protectively, Sebastian said dryly, "I'm totally going to tell him. It will be…**fun."**_

_Mitchell snapped out a defiant," Fine," as he stood up and started to shove his books into his duct-taped covered backpack," go do that. It just proves that you're just kurwa who wants everyone to be as miserable as you."_

_Sebastian didn't know what, 'kurwa' meant but based on the sneer (which really didn't belong there on Zielinski's innocent looking face) on Mitchell's lips he could determine it wasn't something positive. Despite Mitchell's aggressive posturing as he continued to pack up his belongings, Sebastian was drawn to the broken look in Mitchell's eyes, like something was internally shattering his organs underneath the brave front._

_Dropping the stolen notebook back on the table, Sebastian reached out and grasped Mitchell by the wrist," Hey, are you—"_

_He was cut off by a low growl, "Don't touch me." Mitchell removed Sebastian's larger hand off his wrist and stalked out of the library._

_'Wait…" Sebastian grabbed the stupid notebook, believing if he just gave it back maybe things could be fixed and Mitchell wouldn't look so…lost and shattered. He chased after the boy, but Mitchell was already gone._

* * *

Sebastian remembered that evening pouring over all Mitchell's doodles, memorizing a few of the more happier sonnets before crafting the perfect witty and charming speech to win the boy over. It was all for nothing. The next day he had seen Mitchell awkwardly trying to start a conversation with Chris…..

And Sebastian rigged the art room door with a bucket of dye, and he had made sure Mitchell was the first to walk in.

Because no one rejects a Smythe (even though technically Mitch hadn't _exactly_…..done that).

At first Mitchell's response was hysterical until…he kept on screaming and his pale, perfect skin was covered in hideous hives. He didn't know Mitchell was allergic to iodine; it's not like he was trying to hurt the other boy despite what Mitchell's parents said.

From there the dreams of touching Mitchell turned into nightmares full of screaming, because he fucked everything up.

Staring back at the screen of Kurt with his Prom Queen crown, in the other video, attempting to dance (more like a jig) with Blaine. Attempting was the best word for it, with Blaine's shorter stature, it just looked awkward, and Blaine was like a excited puppy soaking up the attention like a sponge while Kurt's smile was painted on.

Sebastian picked up on the haunted, pained look in Kurt's expressive eyes. It had always been there, throbbing beneath the surface of the icy, steel glares and fake smiles Kurt sent at him in their past verbal volley matches. Before, Sebastian liked to figure out what would bring out that vulnerable side so he could siege a great attack and make Kurt give up on getting in his way of his prey (Blaine). Attacking Kurt's clothes and his face, seemed to be the insults with the most bang for their buck.

Now, seeing what Kurt dealt with a daily basis and seeing how similar his remarks were to the insults the primitive pieces of shit threw at Kurt: Sebastian felt sick.

The video finished playing, and Sebastian mumbled to himself, "If you were dancing with me, Kurtsie, it wouldn't look so jacked up…and I would actually touch you….well more like grope you, but it would be better than _that_."

_Not like I have a chance of dancing or doing anything with creampuff's body now. I really fucked up by doing the following:_

_Going after the wrong guy_

_Insulting Kewpie_

_Getting Kurtsie's boyfriend to cheat on him with me_

_And making everything that comes out of my mouth sexual and still managing to insult dollface at the same time. I really have a gift._

I'll never admit out loud that I made a series of mistakes….but it's honestly too late to fix what I have done. I see that. Dollface is different, but there are plenty of fish in the sea for someone like me. I'll forget all about Kewpie once I get a chance to fuck someone that isn't Anderson. Add in a few Guinness draughts or an Irish Car Bomb and I won't be so damn sappy over stupid fish lips Hummel.

_Screw Evangeline and her 'semi-grounding.' I'm going out tonight and getting laid. And drunk._

Milo growled slightly from his perch on the desk as Sebastian got up and padded over to his en suite bathroom to clean up for his night out on the town.

Song:

'The Pretender"-**Foo Fighters**

Irish Car Bomb:

I know I have a lot of international readers (which is great in my opinion) and the name of this is slightly offensive, but it's a popular drink in America that consists of-1/2 oz Irish cream, 1/2 pint Irish stout, ¼ Irish whiskey, and ¼ oz coffee liqueur. It just seemed to be something Sebastian would drink and he wouldn't give a damn about the negative connection.

Angela Carter: The original Queen of dark, fractured fairy tales as seen with her collection of short stories, _The Bloody Chamber_, and being responsible for the film _The Company of Wolves. _The short story Kurt specifically thinks about is " The Erl-king."

"Push it"...yeah, it was toss up between this and "Toxic," performance, but Mr. Shue being in that makes it a little sketchy for me, and Kurt wasn't really featured in that. And I can see Jacob putting 'Push it" up on his blog.

And Finn...I'm sorry...I have reasons for that...he will get better...but he hasn't hit rock bottom yet.

Also, when it comes to the school elections...the ballots wouldn't be counted until the following Monday, and that particular situation won't hit the fan until Tuesday.

Sorry about the lack of focus on Kurt and Sebastian, here but it was necessary for plot reasons, and explain some things...but Sebastian sightly had a light bulb moment, and I hope this chapter shows his thought processes more. I'm not justifying his behavior (past or present) in this story but there are reasons for his self-destructive streak.

A part of the reason that this chapter was sort of hard for me to write was due to the fact that I draw a lot from personal experiences. When I was around Kurt's age in this story, I ended up in not so healthy relationship and the checklist Ms. Pillsbury goes through shows legitimate signs of an abusive/destructive relationship. I do work in the mental health profession but I'm not a counselor, but if you have concerns please check out the National Domestic Abuse Hotline or also helpguideorg's section about domestic violence/abuse is very informative.

Chapter 7: **Talk is Cheap, Comfort is Expensive:** Kurt and Sebastian are in the same room together….and actually interact. I promise.

Reviews are always appreciated :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Glee** nor its characters belong to me in any shape or form. If I was actually a writer on the show, I'm pretty sure I would get fired within a day or a hour or less, for telling off RIB because after seeing the promos for 5x01 I can't watch Glee anymore because its isn't Glee but Blee (he doesn't need to be in 5 out of eight of the musical numbers) and I'm so tried of Blaine (I have no hate for Darren, but his character is awful and underdeveloped) getting everything at the cost of Kurt's emotional well-being...

It's like watching Hannibal, two trains colliding, except its worse because this is supposed to be a comedy. Just RM, what the bleep is your problem (and how nice of you to diss Dianna like that...ugh)? You have other characters that people care about, and shouldn't be used as just props to hold up your 'cash cow."

aries31 out

**A/N: Over 20,000 words peeps-my present to you!** And after looking over this again, Sebastian really needs to carry around a roll of duct tape in his pocket, to use on his mouth in order to prevent himself from making things more…..screwed up or at least stop listening to the devil hanging out on his shoulder, because he is no one's friend.

Also, I don't hate nor I'm bashing Quinn's character (I actually like her despite her many flaws) but she does something cruel…..she will have her own POV soonish.

**Warnings: **Underage drinking, Blaine being a gossiping $#&+, Burt taking out the trash, Brittany logic...and Sebastian/Brittany IMS, alcoholism/smoking, slight violence, Sebastian being Sebastian, Finn trying to do the right thing but messes up, Drunk/Weepy Santana,

Chapter 7: **Talk is Cheap, Comfort is Expensive**

**"**We'd be so less fragile if we're made from metal

And our hearts from iron

And our minds from steel

If we built an armor for our tender bodies

Could we love each other?

Would we strive to feel?"

* * *

Fidgeting with the lapels of his suit, Kurt took a calming breath, and another.

Everything was fine. And if it wasn't he was going to make it that way.

Even though he currently felt like the gazelle with the severe limp that was left behind at the watering hole while the predators circled around in the tall savannah grasses. But paranoia, the type that allowed him to survive his environment, that allowed him be aware of who could possibly be watching him…..Kurt needed to ignore.

Lightly picking up one of the flutes that contained sparkling white grape juice, Kurt rolled his eyes at the sight of Finn, Rachel and Blaine huddled together, laughing and sometimes turning their heads to give him an almost condescending smile, as he had been put in the corner acting out and they were willing to let him back in. On Finn it just looked goofy, but it seemed to fit Rachel and Blaine like a glove.

His father had rented a room at the Lima Community Center , in order for his supporters to come together and wait for the results of the election. Of course Finn was invited and he in turn asked Rachel, and Blaine…..

A low heated, ugly knot twisted inside his gut at the notion….Blaine was supposed to my date….the notion sent a creepy crawly sensation up his spine...now.

_It didn't matter that I'm alone, this night is all about my dad and nothing is going to get in the way of my supporting him._

Sipping his drink, Kurt piled a few appetizers on his plate, not even bothering to see what the hell he grabbed. Stiffening his spins, throwing his shoulders back, he flashed a nonchalant, but close to dismissive smile in their direction before taking a seat at a far round table.

Toying with the petals of gardenias used as a table setting, Kurt bothered to look down at his plate. There was a strange combination of spinach artichoke dip, jalapeno poppers (they were his father's favorite and hopefully, they used low fat cream cheese), a few slices of honeydew, a measly looking crab cake, and a few wheat crackers. Dunking a cracker in the dip, Kurt took a bite, as he continued to observe the mingling parties, letting himself be pulled into his thoughts for a moment.

The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself,

Kurt knew that it was sort of a dorky habit to write down inspirational or just interesting quotes; but they were like little reminders of the person that he wanted to be become or an encouraging nudge to kept shooting for his dreams. This particular one had sprayed onto the crevices of his brain like graffi.

Before Blaine, before he had been seduced by the idea of a fairytale romance, when he had been mostly alone; the message behind the words, of being yourself and screw the consequences, was what he tried to put into practice. Despite the slushies, the hip checks, the locker slams, and the derogatory, homophobic slurs fired in his direction, he fight for himself and the people he deemed important.

That type of life was lonely and frightening ( and Kurt wondered if Nietzsche went to McKinley or if he was part of New Directions, which itself was always squabbling tribe, would he have still come to this conclusion). Kurt had seen it for himself how easier his life had become when he attempted to fit in by playing football or dating Brittany. Though he like there was this gnawing black hole that was devouring him from the inside out.

Self-acceptance was the only the weapon in his internal tool kit that would cause the pit to implode. Being himself, despite whatever drama or trauma that was going on his life, was something he could always hold onto in the middle of the night. The state of being alone, consistently having to try to prove yourself isn't exactly...pleasant.

_So running into someone's arms who seemed like they liked you for you, seems like the perfect solution._

_A perfect lie….._

_And perhaps an indication that maybe at that point in my life should never been in a relationship. My expectations were too….unrealistic and maybe I could stand on my own, but my legs were shaky at best, especially at the moment I stepped into Dalton….that had to be my lowest moment, when I was forced to run away._

_I thought I was weak and needed someone, and desperation is truly funny thing...it allows you to not see cracks and flaws. Back then, I thought getting my own version of a Disney prince meant that I won something, that I beat a misconception….._

_I didn't win anything. I just lost myself in playing the role of a supporting buttress to Blaine, a role that everyone expected me to fulfill._

_And whatever strides I made in believing in myself , disappeared, leaving me now to backtrack before I can move at all forward. However long it takes to rebuild myself, it doesn't matter as long as I don't ever forget again that I own myself, not some boy._

Contemplating whether or not he should test out the crab cake, he poked at it with his fork. Kurt heard the folding chair slide next him against the linoleum, and he didn't even have to look up to see who was his new seating companion, because their insistent and demanding voice gave themselves away, " Kurt, there is no need to exile yourself out in Siberia,"

"Maybe its the best for my mental health, have you ever thought of that?" Kurt snapped as tapped a finger to his forehead, trying to look away from Rachel's expression of overly concerned mother hen, which seemed….like plastic, false and trite.

_She's only here to stir up more drama, because this is fun, like some play, not her life….._

"Maybe, " she said lower, and with some hesitation as if Kurt was a cobra that was about to sink his fangs into her neck," you attack me, " her tone was defensive with her eyebrows scrunched, " but as the more warm hearted and better person, I can forgive you."

"And who said that I needed your forgiveness," Kurt couldn't help but to snort. Rachel winced slightly, but she fumbled on, " Just because my feelings were trampled by your...jealousy doesn't mean that I will stand in the way of true love. Blaine needs you, and it's really just not…."

She paused, there was a note of sincerity in her voice as she said softly, " the same without you…."

With a sigh, Kurt attempted to approach the subject gently, and fondness slowly crept in his voice. _Maybe Rachel and I had a dysfunctional relationship (and the girl is cuckoo for cocoa puffs), but she was my friend, and she tried to be there for me, when others ignored me_" I understand that you want everything want to be the same …." and there is apart of me that will always want that," but it not a good idea right now. For me."

Rachel utted, " What about Blaine?" She leaned in and whispered," He is your soul-mate, and you're endgame…..Maybe this little fling with Sebastian is fun, " Kurt flinched away, his arms protectively folded across his chest," but's not love, like Finn with Santana, and Quinn. There is only one person you get pulled to, and for me its Finn and for you its Blaine."

"Don't throw away your perfect guy for some…..floozy," Rachel insisted.

In his mind, Kurt imagined going all Kurtzilla and smashing his plate all over Rachel's distasteful Minnie Mouse inspired dress, kicking the nearest chair and table….

_Noah would find it entertaining at least._

Yes, he was still furious at Rachel, but he knew in the pit of her heart she was acting out of seriously misdirected concern. And maybe the Kurt before Seblaine gate would have believed the lovey dovey message Rachel was spewing but now….it felt wrong.

The whole concept of soul mates, true love, and happy ever afters had been polluted and tainted in a way that can't be removed in Kurt's eyes. Life is more complicated, and silly little love songs can't solve the bubble of your dreams bursting (not like he was sure that Blaine loved him in the first place….because he did believe Sebastian's little theory of Blaine purposely stealing the role of Tony from him) there had be something else in the solvent between two people in order to make a relationship work.

I'_m never going to protest the accusation of me cheating, because it will land on deaf ears….Sebastian maybe a playboy, but its not like her business._

_Its his life choice._

_As long as his moves aren't directed at me, I don't really care what he does._

_If soul mates do exist, and there is a perfect guy out for me…..it would never be Blaine._

Setting his eyes on his father, casually chatting with Hiram and Leroy Berry, while Carole was loudly laughing with a few friends of the family and volunteers. Despite Carole's schedule at the hospital, she had managed to be there and support his father when he was doubting his chances of winning.

Dad and Carole are able to move independently, but still there is this sense of being a unit. When they think no one is watching they look at each other and expresses their secret smiles, inside jokes, or share a moment of exasperation they, in that moment, together. A team.

_One day I want that…..an equal, but I'm far from ready for that right now._

Rachel tugged on his jacket's sleeve, seeking out his attention, " Do you have anything to say, Kurt?"

"Sorry, Rachel. But I'm not budging. I know how upsetting it is for you but I'm fine, Capeesh?" Kurt snapped his fingers and grabbed his plate to throw away."

"This Sebastian guy must be a real bad influence because you have completely changed," Rachel huffed.

"What can I say? I used to be Snow White, but I drifted," chewing his bottom lip, Kurt added, " Some friendly advice, maybe you should be focused on your own boyfriend and his issues instead of me."

What do you mean?" Rachel gripped the edge of the table," Are you talking about the little fight you had with Finn...because Blaine explained everything….and maybe you should deal with your," she whispered" health issue," instead of lashing out at innocent bystanders."

_What the heck is she talking about? Does she really not know about Finn's role in Santana's outing?_

A firm, but familiar hand clasped Kurt's shoulder, " Hey there kiddo," his dad looked between him and Rachel, his eyes prodding and noticing the obvious tension between the pair, " Alright over here?"

Shaking his head, Kurt said, trying to be bright, " Perfectly fine. I just need some fresh air," he blurted out before leaving a confused father in his wake and headed out to the courtyard besides the room his father had rented out for the evening.

With his arms tightly wound himself, and his shoulders hunched, Kurt started to pace in the courtyard, crushing through the grass, not caring for the moment the state of his dress shoes (they were out season anyway).

_Is this Blaine's new little game of let's see," how many lies I can feed people before they figure out that I'm a rat? Because this is completely….fucked up._

A vibration in his pant's pocket alerted him to a new text message, besides the few he exchanged with Brittany that were summed up by "I'm sorry that I was a meanie to you" followed by cheese and sushi icons, and his attempts to contact Santana, Kurt had heard nothing from anyone.

Checking his inbox he found a single text message.

_From Chandler:_ I feel like such a dumb bunny, but I didn't realize that you were that Kurt Hummel. I made sure to nag everyone I knew to vote for your dad, so anyway I just wanted to wish you and your dad, good luck (though I don't think you need it, your horoscope says so…...but there is the whole thing about a torrid romance, but that seemed really random, and I'm suspicious of it) and a have a victorious evening :) See you at our first rehearsal together, on Tuesday, Ariel!

_Torrid romance and baby penguins don't exactly mix in the same sentence. But that was sweet, weird but sweet, and exactly what I needed._

Putting his IPhone away, Kurt strolled back in and completely froze out Rachel and the rest for the remainder of the evening. And without much effort, Kurt enjoyed just talking to his father and Carole.

* * *

It wasn't even an challenge for Sebastian to sneak out.

All he had to do was call a taxi. open the window, bridge the small gap between the roof and the nearby oak tree, and just climb down the said tree that was so fortunately planted for teenage escapades (that was the real reason he chose this bedroom, even though it was smaller than his sister's, in case of a situation like this ever occurring.

Looking down at the scratches that lined his palms, from when he lost his grip and slid a foot down and then spent a good ten minutes to pick off the leaves that were stuck to his pants, after landing in a bush. Sebastian admitted, maybe it wasn't that easy. Excusing his slight failure, as being out of practice, because sneaking out of his dorm room was a talent he developed in Paris, Sebastian wrapped his raw, tender hands around his beer bottle, letting the cool condensation calm them.

Besides the bottled Guinness Draught, there really was no reason to be at Scandals. Despite the easy escape, it was like the Fates were fucking with him. It was a Friday night. The night to find a find a hot guy and spend a few hours having some NC-17 rated entertainment,

Tonight, Scandals had decided to morph into a ghost town.

There was maybe only a dozen guys (and Sebastian wasn't that desperate to hook up with one of the "untouchable" randoms) milling around and along with a pair of women playing pool in the back, who would stop every few minutes to make out. Not exactly the action I'm interested in.

Adding to the general state of sleazy despair, the speakers were on the fritz, putting off anyone who came to dance. Only a squeaky, whine pulsed, making the mockery of the current song's lyrics:

_infatuation_

_with your gyration_

_that's my fixation, I'm (infatuated with you)_

_infatuated with you (infatuated with)_

_thumping to the thumping_

_jumping to the pumping_

_leaping to the beeping thing on the dance floor_

_thumping to the pumping_

_pumping to the jumping_

_beeping to the leaping thing on the dance floor_

To compensate, the bartender with a buzz cut and watery blue eyes (Sebastian had learned from his many evening sojourns during the summer and the school year so far, that his name was Lou ) had turned on the TV, that hung over the bar. Lou had put on the local news channel, of all things. He, along with a few of the other older men, seemed to be intently focused on it, actively murmuring.

_Boring._

_This is not exactly the evening that I planned, that I needed so I could forget all about stupid, Hummel, and his sinful hips and big, doe eyes..._

Across the room, Sebastian noticed a halfway decent looking redhead, eye fucking him. With a wink in the other man's direction, Sebastian wrapped his lips around his bottle, for a moment too long, as he drink it. Putting the bottle down, Sebastian wiped his lips with the back of his hand. Lou mockingly rolled his eyes at Sebastian's antic, before handing over a Miller to the man wearing a baseball cap on Sebastian's left, and fixing a gin and tonic.

Lou continued to kept one eye trained on the TV, and whispering to the guy sitting besides Sebastian. Taking another sip of his beer, twisting on his stool, to see what the hell was so damn fascinating, Sebastian focused his attention on his neighbour. From his own experiences at Scandals, Lou didn't exactly talk to people, well he just grunted or swore at him for some stupid reason.

_Oh, it's just Bear Cub_

He has noticed the other boy's presence, a flickering shadow that remained sitting quietly in the corner over the summer. Since Bear Cub didn't exactly cause him problems, i.e; by getting in the way of his pursuits and conquests, therefore, Bear Cub wasn't really someone of note in Sebastian's rolodex. The other teen mainly kept to himself, drinking a few beers, and quietly talking to some of the bears (but those conversations filled with comforting gestures, and deep eye contact, Sebastian could tell had nothing to do with hooking up ).

_He's not exactly my type...but Bear Cub isn't that revolting Well, its hard to tell since he's always wearing that stupid baseball cap, and veiling his face from sight like he's a freaking spy or something._

_And I remember Kurtsie was talking to him, when I was dancing with Blaine. I don't know why, but I'm going to find out. It's not like there is anything else to do. There is that ginger, but I have a sneaking suspicion I already screwed him, and he wasn't anything to write home about._

Looming into the other teen's space, Sebastian opened his mouth, but he was cut off by the volume of the TV being raised. Bear Cub, along with a few of other patrons were now giving a bland looking female newscaster, who had to be abusing botox, their full attention, as she started to speak," Well, Rod, the exciting...and somewhat strange case of the special election for Congress, has finally come to a close."

" Yes, Andrea, it has. The final ballots have been tabulated...and Ohio's newest Congress representative ...is Burt Hummel..."

Breaking the subdued atmosphere of the bar, a chorus of hoots and catcalls erupted. Lou proudly beamed, " I voted for him."

"Good for you," Sebastian muttered under his breath, not understanding why there was such a need to celebrate, as he attempted to capture Bear Cub's focus by poking his arm, and leaning over to the point that was nearly falling out of his seat . Bear Cub acted like he never felt it, like Sebastian wasn't even there. Sebastian was about to strike again, until he noticed the blush swiftly spreading on the bigger boy's cheeks as he watched the scene the news crew cut to.

There was Kewpie._ Why does it seem that I can't escape him, no matter how much I try?_ The apples of his cheeks were flushed and rosy, a twinkle of excitement in his almost blindingly blue eyes, and an expression of pure happiness was playing over his delicate features.

Sebastian had only seen three expressions on Princess's face: the cold, calculating, fake mask, the unadulterated rage that sometimes he was able to provoke due to just the right barb, or partially shielded vulnerability. But this was different, this was fading glimmer of what Kurtsie was really like….away from the hobbit, and himself.

The cameras had captured a simple moment, of dollface trying to smooth out the wrinkles of his father's suit and reaching up to try to steal the trucker hat that was perched on his father's head. It was precious in a way. Sebastian had never seen Hummel as...happy or just comfortable in his own skin as right now.

It felt wrong, as someone that Kurtsie clearly saw as an enemy ( the state of being arch-enemies, was one that Sebastian preferred them being than having to deal with these overwhelming, idiotic feelings, and the disturbing wish of wanting creampuff with him, instead of being with his father, so they could to mock the current state of Scandals together ) to see this unguarded aspect of Kewpie to shine through.

It didn't stop a lopsided grin from creeping onto Sebastian's face, as he greedily drank up the sight of dollface fuss over his father.

_It's sort of cute..._

_Not like I'm interested in "cuteness."_

When the pair finally acknowledged the cameras, Burt Hummel threw an arm around his son's shoulders. A stream of words started to bubble from Hummel, Sr's mouth but Sebastian wasn't really listening. His eyes were busy switching back and forth, comparing Kurt's and Burt's features.

"Shit," Sebastian murmured, "how the hell did that come from...that?"

"Yeah, it's weird, " Bear Cub took a sip of his beer, not bothering to look at Sebastian since he was still watching the two Hummel men " Fancy's mom had to be a total babe or something. Not like that it matters, Mr. Hummel is like Rambo...on steroids. The ultimate guard dog, so I wouldn't suggest chasing after his son." he said more grimly, with his head slightly bowed like he was playing penance as he continued to nurse his current beer slowly.

"Dave," Lou gruffly admonished, as he wiped down the counter, "I wouldn't exactly describe what you were doing as "chasing."

Dave _(so Dave is Bear Cub's name)_ sighed, his tone had the taint of bitterness, "I'm a screwed up moron. I already know that, Sherlock." He took off his cap, and crumpled it between his hands. Lou stalked off, cursing his lot in life of having to serve, "smart mouthed brats."

It was then that Sebastian managed a better look at Dave's face.

It wasn't hard to follow the line of Dave's and Lou's conversation. Bear Cub fucked something up badly, that had to do with Kewpie...and Burt Hummel kicked his ass or something to that effect.

_But Kurt talks to Bear Cub like a...friend...and that nickname..._

...Sebastian knew that he heard it before.

As his eyes roamed over Dave's features. he got it.

In his mind, a film played of a towering jock in a letterman's jacket, shoving Kurt around, and throwing a slushie all over his stupid, girly clothes.

" Tip: bashing someone's head against a locker is not exactly effective in getting a date. More like in the style of the first "homosexual" marriage from History of the World Part 1, but clearly you're a throwback to that era," Sebastian admitted it wasn't smart to goad Dave, but well, he also acknowledged that he might possibly have a impulse control issue, " I'm not sure someone like you should be allowed in here, since you're clearly an example of a self-hating closet case."

Dave's nostrils flared like a bull about to charge at a red flag, and he tightly gripped his beer, until a small river of the amber liquid started to escape from the opening, with frothy foam splashed onto the counter of the bar, Dave gave Sebastian a callous once over, " Well, at least I'm not bicycle that everyone has taken a ride on."

"Jealous, much," Sebastian smirked, "virgin."

"Of you? Not really, " Dave gritted out, his voice starting to drip with anger, "because at least I'm trying to do better, and...you're currently drowning in de-Nile, dude."

"Because maybe your hands were all over Anderfuck, " that's actually a decent insult that I can use, " it was easy to see for everyone in the audience to see you were just trying to get a rise out Fancy"

Dave fished several singles out of his wallet, and slid them underneath his half-finished beer, "And you can forget about Hummel lowering himself to your level." Dave stood up, Sebastian followed suit, deciding that it was like shooting two birds, with one stone: he could have a entertaining rumble and have his actions be in the right for once.

He crowed into Dave's personal space, gripping the other teen's jacket roughly," I don't see Kurtsie running off with King Kong, do you? Because I don't."

Dave's face flashed a warning red, with narrowed eyes, " I don't hit people anymore, but you're making it real hard not to. Get the hell out of my face, man, before we both do something really stupid."

_You know what? I feel like doing something stupid tonight. I mean how many times did Princess ask you leave him alone, and you ignored it? I've done some horrible shit but I never hit someone that couldn't fight back or didn't truly deserve it. Maybe I blew my own shot with Kewpie, but I can still teach you a lesson or two._

A female voice cried out, " Sebastian Mason Smythe, you're are so fucking dead." and stopped Sebastian from making the next move. Plastering on a expression of faux-innocence, as if to say, "who me?," Sebastian hid his balled up fist behind his back, but still maintained a firm grip on Dave's jean jacket. With her hair in a frizzy mess that made it look like she was struck by lightening (and generally put Albert Einstein's hairstyle to shame), clad in her pajama shirt, jeans, and bunny slippers on her feet, Evangeline stormed in, without a care to the patrons gawking at her, and didn't hesitate to forcefully push Dave and Sebastian apart.

_Fuck. Why did the bouncer even let her in?_

_Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck..._

"Why do you continue to insult my intelligence? A few pillows stuffed under the covers, might work on Papa but not on me. I know all of your little tricks, Bastian," her voice was tight with tension as if it was a rubber band that about to be snapped. Her eyes were filled with a glowering fire, that Sebastian on hand knew he deserved but Evangeline was so damn frightening when she was like this. There were trace amounts of concern around the lines of her mouth, but Sebastian had other more pressing worries.

_…..Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck...I'm probably not going to allowed to leave the house until I'm forty...fuckfuckfuck..._

_Smythe Junior is going to be so miserable._

Sebastian wasn't really listening as Evangeline continued to lecture, her voice sounding brittle and harsh, far from pleasant. His gaze was focused on all the other patrons that were snickering at his misfortune. The two women stopped their make out session, giving Evangeline the once over, and raising their noses in annoyance at her presence.

The redhead, that Sebastian that might have possibly considered hooking up in the bathroom with, despite it being a second go around, was now pointing at and vigorously laughing at him with his new companion, a lanky blond.

Lou only said, " Thank you God. She got them to shut up."

A crimson ring circled around his neck, as Sebastian rapidly crossed the boundary line from total humiliation to full on mortification. A feeling that Sebastian hadn't experienced since he was pantsed when he was ten, and he was trying to get the attention of Henry Combs.

On that particular day, he had been wearing a pair of briefs that Evangeline had dyed pink because he 'sort of' told on her for having a girl in her room after curfew.

But this more current event felt even worse.

_Even Bear Curb is laughing...at me._

The laughing didn't last very long, Evangeline tilted her chin up and clicked her tongue, " What are you laughing at, Chuckles? That hat doesn't hide the fact that you're aren't old enough to be in here either...or drinking." Evangeline's eyes flickered over the two half-drunk beers remaining on the counter, licking her lips slightly, with a slight darkening of her hazel eyes. Not missing a beat, Sebastian pushed the drinks aside so that they were hidden behind his back.

Snapping back to reality, Evangeline aggressively questioned Dave, her hands on her hips " How much have you had to drink? "( Bear Cub mumbled out "1 ½" ) , " Well, I can live with that, but I'm going to follow you home, alright? Because there is no need for there to any more teenage roadkill out there. Any swerving, you are getting into my car. Got it, mister?"

Dave nodded and almost meekly followed her directions. While on the other hand, Sebastian was itching to protest.

_I haven't even gotten laid or knocked off Bear Cub's block yet..._

He attempted to bring up those important facts, Sebastian smirked " You found me. Good job, Ms. Bloodhound," he sarcastically clapped, "and I'm perfectly alright. So why don't you scurry back on home, " he wiggled his fingers in the direction of the bar's door, " and I'll see you in a bit. After I have some fun."

"Sebastian," Evangeline hissed, with her hands stretched out as if she wanted to strangle him, and they fell to her sides after a annoyed sigh, " If you think that...with get you out of trouble with me, then you must be seriously intoxicated. And if you refuse to cooperate then I have no problem with hitting you with my slipper, in the face. and tearing your little suave image into shreds. Got it?'

Sebastian backed himself into the bar, at the sight of Evangeline's ferocious grin. He tried to move farther away, but Evangeline sharply pulled him by his forearm, and outside into the parking lot, while everyone who remained in Scandals made the "whipped" motion behind his back.

Evangeline slammed her car door shut, as Sebastian slumped down in his seat, his arms crossed, petulantly pouting, " I'm never going to be able to show my face in there after what you did..."

"What I did?" Evangeline shrieked, as she clicked her seat belt, turned on the car, and stared at him, her face contorted into a mixture of anger and confusion, " You are the one that snuck out, and drank. You're the one that gave me a heart attack. You are the one," she threw her hands in the air in desperation, "What does it matter? You never listen to me anyway."

"Maybe I would listen to you if you stopped acting like our mother, because she's decomposing in the ground, and you're a poor substitute," Sebastian sneered.

Evangeline paused, swallowing thickly, with a flash of hurt in her eyes, " Then stop acting like a fucking child in the first place."

Biting her lip, Evangeline added, "Forget it. That won't ever change. Just remind me next time not to give a shit, because your an 'adult," that can take care of himself."

" I'm actually. Come on, think about it. I was being responsible," Sebastian pointed out, " I called a taxi..."

"Don't," she said savagely, "Just don't, Sebastian."

Taking that at as his cue to shut up, Sebastian looked out the window, as Evangeline started to follow the blue, Ford truck, that belonged to Dave, down the road away from Scandals.

Evangeline quickly dialed a number on her cell before turning on the speaker. After getting the voice mail, she stated in a clipped and measured tone, " Sorry, Bob, for calling so late, but I had pull my brother out of a bar, and I need to talk. I'm not in the red zone, but I just cruised into yellow, and it's been awhile.. Please get back to me as soon as possible. Thanks."

Pressing his forehead against the glass, Sebastian sighed. His breath fogged the window, and with a long finger he drew a heart before crossing it out.

_Bob McGillian is Evangeline's sponsor..._

_Shit, I really..."fucked up" doesn't begin to describe this..._

Glancing over at Evangeline for a second, he observed her wet eyes, and the spattering of tears down her cheeks.

_Sebastian Mason Smythe's sixth rule for living the good life: Don't make your sister cry because only total dickish tools do that._

_I guess that I'm a total dickish tool, to another person that doesn't deserve it. At least Hummel is in good company of people I push too far._

* * *

After the cameras pulled away, and Kurt walked in hand with Carole to have a "tiny slice," of victory cake (it was designed in the shape of a rainbow, since it had been that Brittany gal who ordered it). Burt doubted that Kurt would allow him to have a piece since frosting "could" clog his already stressed arteries.

Burt watched them leave, with a generous smile on his lips. His victory was a complete surprise, despite the amount of faith people had in him, he felt that he was a tortoise racing against a cheetah and a wolverine. Unlike in folk tales, and parables, slow and steady usually doesn't cut it in the real world.

_Nice guys tend to get demolished._

For once, maybe that wasn't going to be the case. Now, he was in a position to make things...easier for his son and the next boy or girl that had to travel down the same path.

However, now that the election was over, the other concerns Burt had left stewing on the back burner needed his attention. He would have to be a fool ( and maybe Burt only went to community college, but he wasn't born yesterday) to not notice the almost solid layer of tension between Kurt, Finn, and Rachel.

Or the development of Anderson suddenly becoming Finn's new best bud, when two weeks ago Burt knew he heard Finn ranting and raving about how he felt threatened by the boy...when it came to his relationship with Rachel and his position in the glee club.

Finn should have followed his original instincts concerning the weasel...

"Mr. Hummel," Blaine rushed over to Burt's side, his smile bright, toothy, and way too-wide, " Congratulations! I knew you could do it..."

_Speak of the bow-tie wearing devil..._

"Anderson," Burt said, his tone flinty, his green eyes narrowed, as he widened his stance. His hands were hidden behind his back, away from Blaine's sight, and slowly he cracked his knuckles.

Obviously, Blaine rocked back and forth, like a too eager puppy. He extended a hand out, in what Burt assumed was meant to be as a token of friendship. Burt just stared at it, not making a move to accept it.

_I'm not going to accept...or touch that hand that caused my son harm._

After an awkward moment, Blaine dropped his arm to his side.

For a split second, Blaine's smile turned uneasy, and his eyes were cloudy, but he quickly composed himself, as he spat out a whole pack of lies, laced with the flattery of a natural born brown-noser," I know at the moment Kurt and I are on a break, but I don't mind waiting for him, when he is ready to fully commit. and be in a mature relationship..." the gelled up rodent continued on, his words slick and full of exasperated patience, that pointed out Kurt as the only sinner...

Burt arched an eyebrow, but forced himself to remain calm for a few minutes longer, until the right opening presented itself.

"Despite all that," Blaine waved off his and Kurt's break up as if it was insignificant fruit fly, " I hope that there isn't bad blood between us," you better believe that there is a WHOLE lot of bad blood between you and me, you lying little punk….., "Perhaps you can use my assistance in regards to dealing with some of the day to day office work of being a newly elected Congress member. Being your intern would really boost my chances at getting into my " top" college..."

Cementing his expression into the poker face, that had allowed him to be the current all star in his weekly round of cards with some of the mechanics at the garbage, Burt only said, " Why don't we talk about this outside?" as he gestured to some of the volunteers starting to clean up the trash left behind by his supporters during the evening.

Blaine hesitated, his shoulders slightly tensed at the suggestion, but he nodded. He followed Burt through the sliding doors, and into the small courtyard that was framed by the U-shaped Lima Community Center.

Once Burt was sure that Blaine was outside and away from the glass doors ( and any possible witnesses), he spun around and pinned Blaine against the nearest stucco covered wall, in the same fashion that he had held down David Karofsky, less than a year ago.

"Listen up, because I'm only gonna explain this once, you cake-eating son of a bitch," Blaine's eyes were wide, and frightened. Scaring some kid wasn't how Burt wanted to handle this situation, but it felt like it might be the only option. And honestly, the moment Burt saw the bruise on Kurt's arm, Blaine has stopped being a innocent child in his eyes.

_I just don't see a restraining order working out, after how the situation with Karofsky was dealt with..._

"You're no longer a welcomed guest in my home. No matter if Finn invites you. Maybe you thought going after the son who isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, was the best way to go after Kurt and real damn clever, but you can't fool me, Anderson, " Burt furiously roared into Blaine's ear, his face burning red, and his eyebrows deeply furrowed " And if I ever find out about you hurting Kurt again..."

"Let's say it won't be pleasant for you.. So do you understand me, Anderson?"

Weakly, Blaine whispered, "Yes," as a few drops of sweat cascaded down his forehead.

Burt released him and watched the short teen dart into the darkness, like a shrew seeking shelter from a owl in hot pursuit.

"You better fucking get it, " But muttered to himself. He strolled back into the room he rented out for the evening, and grabbed a small flute of champagne that had been left unguarded.

_Because unlike other politicians, I always follow through with promises._

* * *

_Kurt was supposed to have folded by now._

_The little "outburst" at the glee club was a little bit of surprise, but Kurt has always possessed the capacity of "zigging" while I "zag." Completely mucking up my plans and making my life more difficult, but he does makes things...interesting, if I have to give him a compliment._

_Otherwise, he's an annoying, pathetic, piece of shit..._

_The one good consequence about his subpar singing performance is that it caused such wonderful division in the glee club, that I could use it to my advantage. It hasn't escaped my notice that certain people have taken Kurt's side (they will eventually regret it), but they are of very little importance. Their voices are replaceable in the end. The necessary players are in my camp and there is sort of a delicious irony that Finn is now coming to me for advice._

_Kurt really needs to watch his temper, or he will really be left alone, which is his greatest fear._

_What a weakling..._

_I'm not sure exactly where Mike or Tina stand. They have been avoiding me, but they are basically sheep, easy to herd in my direction. Mercedes has showed some tentative support my way, but she seems too busy with her own life and her football playing boyfriend, Shane, to care about what is going on, which is acceptable for the moment._

_And the Warblers have been ignoring me, even Thad seems distant, but that can't mean anything. I bet Sebby is just being petty and childish. It's nothing that I can't work out with him, once he cools down and we sleep together again._

_The only wild card is Burt Hummel. I didn't expect Kurt to go crying to Papa Bear. He didn't last time. I guess Kurt decided that he needed someone else to fight his battles for him, instead of resorting to his standard " silent, tough guy act"(not like that's so convincing ) How...pitiful._

_Burt has to be the one propping Kurt up. I'll just make sure that next time, when I purposely provoke him, to record it. Now that Mr. Hummel has been upgraded to Congressman Hummel, well, he can't exactly resort to certain redneck behaviors without a dire outcome._

_Blackmail, add in a pinch of rumors, stir in Rachel, Finn, and Mr. Schuester, set to a boil and I have the perfect recipe to get Kurt back as my adoring fan._

_Perhaps it is...unkind to resort to those sort of manures (and I would prefer to participate in more sophisticated intrigue...but people here are rather gullible and common so it doesn't matter what I do) since the rest of the Hummel-Hudson family has been so considerate and accepting of me, but they are starting to get in the way of what I want._

_And I can't have that._

_After all, a wise man once said, "politics have no relation to morals," and playing politics has become my favorite game._

_Not like I really need Kurt ( I suppose that there is entertainment value in controlling him) , it's just that Rachel really doesn't know how to flatter me properly or understand my needs, and someone has to shut Kurt's mouth from blabbing about certain aspects of our relationship to the wrong sort of people, people that have influence and could make my life stressful if they think I "hurt" Kurt._

_Which is a lie. I mean I was above patient with him and tolerated so many of his ridiculous flaws._

_It doesn't matter. Nothing that he says matters._

_By shredding Kurt's reputation, no one is going to believe him. He's seeing Ms. Pillsbury due to an "emotional disturbance," so that already labels him in most people's eyes as heading over the cuckoo's nest..._

_Everything is going to be fine. I'm in complete control._

Parking his recently repaired Lexus, Blaine rubbed at his neck, cracking it to the side before getting out and locking it up for the night. Entering his home, Blaine tried not to look at the dozens of framed photos that featured his older brother, Cooper (and not him).

Cooper on the red carpet. Cooper graduating from Dalton with full honors, Cooper on the set of CSI, Cooper volunteering at a soup kitchen, Cooper with his girlfriend, Cooper singing in his band in some retro-themed bar called "Foul Play," Cooper with another girlfriend, Cooper sunbathing by the pool of his own mini-mansion, Cooper with girlfriend number 22#, and Cooper shaking hands with Neil Patrick Harris (supposedly that's okay, if it's Cooper...)

The large-shit eating grins, the twinkle of arrogance in his eyes, and the wholly entitled attitude towards the attention he garnered,(attention that belonged to Blaine), radiated from the photographs, and just made Blaine's blood run ice-cold.

Moving to the grand staircase, Blaine only climbed up five steps before a hand clasped around his wrist.

Staring up at his father, who was heading down in a terry cloth robe, Blaine was greeted icily, "Son, I got a call today from a...Ms. Pillsbury?" His father arched an eyebrow, "we are required to meet with her on Wednesday. Do you have any idea of what this is all about, because I would hate to waste my time on something that can be settled over the phone?"

"She mentioned...that..Hummel boy." he spat out with toxic venom, tightening his grip around Blaine's wrist to the point the hold felt full of biting iron .

Blaine remained quiet, the wheels and gears spinning in his head.

_What the fuck did that bitch say about me? And what the hell has gotten into Kurt to make him so damn chatty about our personal business? It's like he doesn't understand that eventually we are going to get back together, with him as my anchor._

_Or that he really doesn't want me, which is just so inconceivable._

* * *

_Tana doesn't cry much. Sometimes I worry that she had the same operation as Coach, and she forget to tell me. But when she does, it's like when someone doesn't believe in fairies, it breaks my heart, and Tinkerbell loses a friend._

_Earlier today, when I heard her running by my math room, it's wasn't hard to notice that she was sobbing. I couldn't help but chase after her (though Ms. Vlaming kind of gave me detention for cutting class-how can you cut a class anyway, I didn't see anything that was bleeding-but Coach took care of that for me and I can get notes from Becky later). I followed Tana into the bathroom, and at first it seemed like she didn't want me there. She kept on shouting, " I don't want you to see me like this!" and "GO, Just GO."_

_Which was really silly, because how often has she seen me cry?_

_Eventually, I was able to calm her down and help her wash the slushie out of her hair. After a few sweet lady kisses, I had thought we could have a nice, long make out session before heading off to lunch. I was in the mood for a bagel with cream cheese and peanut butter with tots on top._

_Except Quinn and a bunch of JV Cheerios then came in and kind of ruined my appetite._

_Quinn used to be a friend, a good friend, but since this summer when she ignored our calls and texts, things haven't been the same between the three of us. I think the change has to do with her baby coming back and her issues with her gross tool of a father, that make her need a guy like all the time and turn her into a walking train wreck. Usually, I feel bad for her, but it doesn't excuse her behavior towards people that have been her friends ( and maybe we made our own mistakes too….but I really thought we were a solid triangle.)._

_Or maybe I'm just not her biggest fan, after overhearing her say that she was voting only for me as senior class president because I'm like the least, " offensive candidate," while I might not understand that concept I got that it was sort of a slap in the face to Kurty (and that's why I voted for him instead of myself today)._

_A tall, brunette with a pixie cut, who might have been the captain of the JV squad (I never paid attention to their names, I have always been too concerned with how off the beat their dance moves are), elbowed Tana out of the way so she could put on her mascara and lip gloss. A action she wouldn't have dared to do this morning._

_She also hissed out, "Freak" at Tana when she pushed her back._

_At the time, I thought, that Tana would just jump in and attack the girl like she always does. Instead she just sighed; she looked so exhausted, and tired of fighting and pretending things don't bother her._

_Quinn's gaze flickered back between us and the rest of the girls, like when Lord Tubbington is forced to chose between Chunky Monkey or chocolate ice cream for dinner, but unlike Lord Tubbington who always chooses Chunky Monkey in the end, Quinn choose chocolate_

_Quinn only giggled along with the rest of the girls as they flipped their hair back and dismissed us as trash._

_I admit that I'm not good at fighting back. Sometimes, its like the right words take a vacation and come back hours later when I don't need them anymore. I wish I was like Tana and Kurty but I'm not, I'm me. When Tana sort of crumbled to the ground besides me, I did what I could. I held her, and sung in her ear:_

_"Spinning your umbrella over your head_

_You should be in bed but you're here instead_

_Walking with me towards a midnight swim_

_I can give you, baby, what you can't get from them_

_Songbird's singing in an old dead tree_

_The way you drive honey scares the hell out of me_

_A hundred miles an hour on a brand new road_

_Look at me again, you'll make my heart explode_

_Hey, hey, little fighter girl_

_It's you and me up against this whole wide world_

_Sleeping together in the lion's den_

_Got your earrings in my pocket till I see you again,"_

_And I just tried to listen._

_I don't think it was enough, so maybe when Kurty walked in, I sort of over reacted…._

_I know he's isn't angry at me, but I hated seeing my unicorn so upset. There is something that I can do for him, to show that he was such a good friend to Tana….and we both like him._

Brittany tapped her finger against her temple.

_I could try to bake him a cheesecake…_

_Or I could help bring him and pegasus together…..though Tana thinks the guy is bad news._

I_ just don't see it. Sure, maybe some self-improvement books might be helpful in his case, but there are a lot of people who say that Santana is evil too._

She stared at her laptop for a second, before bringing up her search engine and typed out, " how do you help your guy friend realize that he and his arch enemy have a extreme amount of sexual tension, and might actually be good for each other?"

Brittany was going to add, "and should totally have dolphin babies together," but that seemed a little bit confusing for the computer and too long.

Despite getting over 18,000 hits, nothing seemed to be at all relevant to her question.

_I'll have to figure this out myself. The first step is to…...bring pegasus out for a play date, as soon as I figure out where he lives._

* * *

THESMYTHE is now online... ( Saturday, October 9, 2011, 11:34am)

Rainbow_Katz (11:36am): Can you tell me where you live? The computer won't show me.

THESMYTHE (11:45am): Um...ummm this is Brittany right?

Rainbow_Katz (11:48am): Yes! :)))))))))))))))

Rainbow_Katz (11:49am): You're really smart for a pegasus... 3

THESMYTHE (11: 50 am) I'm not a mystical creature, and if I was then it would be something more awesomely badass than a horse with wings...and I'm fucking brilliant btw. ;) So why do you want to know where I live? Is this some very ill-conceived prank from the Nude Erections?

Rainbow_Katz (11:52am): Tana and I are too good for them and they were mean to Kurty, so they could trying to pull a mean trick on you, IDK, I just want to make my unicorn happy...

THESMYTHE (11:56am): By pelting my house with molotov cocktails?

Rainbow_Katz( 11:57am): No, silly...so we can all hang out together, like a play date...or something.

THESMYTHE (11:58am): WHY?

THESMYTHE (11:59 am): And play date, seriously? What sort of glue have you been smoking?

Rainbow_Katz (12;00pm): Because Kurty is my favorite ex-boyfriend and I think if you tried really hard to be nice, you could make him smile, a lot. I like it when Kurty smiles.3,3, 3, 3

THESMYTHE(12:01 pm):...

Rainbow_Katz (12:05 pm): Why does everything react that way when I say that? Kurt was really HOT that week. Tana says that he looked like a sexually confused trucker, but I think that she was jealous that I wasn't paying attention to her...

Rainbow_Katz (12:06pm): Though I do prefer twirling Kurt around when he wears one of those man-skirts...instead of overalls 3 3 3

THESMYTHE (12:08pm)...

THESMYTHE (12;12pm): Just leave me alone. I strongly dislike Kurtsie and his pasty face. Along with all his little sidekicks, which includes you, hon.

Rainbow_Katz (12: 16pm): I know you are lying but that's okay. I'll just ask Tana for help when she finishes up visiting with her abuela...

Evangeline slowly pushed the lid of Sebastian's laptop down.

I_ was about to insult the dopey blonde into the next decade, and Evangeline had to sneak in like a ninja and ruin my fun. Seriously, where did this dim-bulb ever get the impression that Kurtsie and I were so buddy-buddy close? He blocked my number...and despite everything that has happened this week...I can't like Kurt Hummel._

_I can't._

_I just can't afford to...care. Because when I give a shit about a person, it ends up being like a war zone for both parties involved._

_It's for the best that I ignore his presence and leave him the hell alone._

_I nearly invited myself into a fight last night, because of something that happened a year ago (before I even came onto the scene) to him , and though I don't want to admit it, I'm damn sure that Dave, could have kicked my ass into the last decade if he wanted to, if Evangeline didn't intervene._

_That's not me..._

_My priority is myself. Putting myself into danger for some...boy isn't me. That's a sucker's game._

_It can't be me. Sebastian-fucking Mason Smythe isn't a sucker or a chump._

Evangeline jumped onto the surface of his desk, her shorter legs knocking against the mahogany wood, while her fingers aggressively twitched in her lap.

"I see that you're up, " she reached out and snatched the laptop, curling her fingertips around it, as it lay in her lap, " Do you have anything to say, to explain why it was. so fucking important for you to go out, when you were already grounded? Where you under mind control? Did the life of the President depend on you having sex? Please explain it to me..."

Sebastian remained silent, his hands busy with intertwining themselves into the strands of his bed head, turning the turfs into slight spikes.

"Maybe it's my fault for not making my expectations clear, but that's going to change. For now on, until I decide your grounding is over, you will use the computer downstairs for school work," with a free hand she ticked off the rest of her demands with her fingers," I won't make you stop your extracurricular activities because you already made a commitment and you need them for college, but you will check in with me every hour and you will come straight home and help out Rosie with the house. Otherwise you are under household arrest, unless I make an exception. Clear?"

Sebastian nodded at first, but seeing his freedom and social life slip away he still grumbled out, "It's not fair."

Craning her neck down at Sebastian, with, her lips tightly pursed, and a disappointment clear in her eyes, Evangeline started to shout at him (to Sebastian it seemed like a frustrated roar), " It's not fair that things have to be this way, while all I want to do is to spend some quality time with my brother before he goes away for college. It's not fair that you forced me the play the role of parent, Sebastian," her voice became strained and higher, grating against Sebastian's ears, "It's not fair that you can't see the consequences of your actions on the people around you. The people that actually care about you."

"At least last time, I knew that you were out and you're brought someone along. Last night, if something went wrong, no one would have known. And going to a hole in a wall, like that, alone is reckless. Haven't ever heard of the buddy system?

" Yes, and I don't need it. I'm fine. I'm always fine..." Sebastian volleyed back in return, annoyance threading his voice.

"Sure, you are in your own mind," she said bitterly, "But next time," she sighed in frustration, "you might not be. Horrible things can happen, so sue me for giving a damn about your well being." Evangeline shrugged her shoulders, and slid to her feet.

The forlorn cast to her features, were like a slap to the face, and a reminder of the crying scene last night, Sebastian moved towards her, "Look, I'm sorry..."

"If you're truly sorry then you can prove it to me. Words, coming from your mouth, mean nothing to me. They are just pretty sentiments because you got caught. It's only actions that hold any weight, so I would start working on showing me then a speech," Evangeline snapped before stalking off, and leaving Sebastian alone to stew in his bedroom.

Flopping down on his bed, his limbs sprawled and ducking his head into the mussed covers, Sebastian sighed. The words, "I'm sorry," didn't fall from his lips often. Honestly, if he looked through his recollections, Sebastian doubted he said those words more than ten times in his life.

Evangeline knew that.

But this time it didn't seem to matter.

_A nasty, inner voice hissed, scorching through his mixed up and still sleepy thoughts, " Maybe you say it, but you don't mean it. Why else would you keep doing the same things over and over again? I know why, because you are bastard or insane."_

_There's nothing wrong with how I act. I almost always get what I want and that's what matters, in the end. Winning my next goal or prize, keeping things as impersonal as possible is what I do best._

_And I'm happy, most of the time, right?_

He pondered that question, rolling it around in his mind, and found himself unable to properly answer it. All he saw was memories, of Mitchell crying and looking at him as if he was the scum of the earth, the other boys with hurt faces, that thought they were special, that they meant something to him, even though Sebastian thought he made it crystal clear they were just the flavor of the week, Kurtsie slightly flinching at the insult of "gayface," and Evangeline refusing to acknowledge his presence while they trailed after Bear Cub and then headed home.

She had ordered him to go to bed when they returned home last night, but Sebastian had hidden out of sight, and watched over Evangeline as she paced all through the first floor of the house. Through the the kitchen, the living room, the parlor, the dining room, the study, and the sun room in a giant loop. similar to the game, _Clue._

It was excruciating to watch her come undone, exposing her layers, until her fragile heart nearly jumped out of her chest. Listening to her call her sponsor and then Zach, while he was hopeless to do anything. Because he was the guilty one, because he was the reason she was in so much pain.

His name was the one that she cursed over, over, and over...

And despite what people said, Sebastian did have a heart...it was just devoted on going after his own pleasure and his family. Maybe the one night stand, and his peers meant nothing, but Evangeline actually mattered.

She had been the only person that was there for him when he needed it. More than any of his so 'called friends' who were too freaked out to visit him in the hospital when he desperately needed someone to talk to him, or at least bother to hold his hand. More than his own father, who seemed too swept up in his own grief to pay attention to him, and when he remembered he had a son, he just stood there, stood there, awkwardly twitching and shuffling in place, and not being able to say anything. And looking at him, as if Sebastian was some Rubik cube that he could only complete one side to, and he didn't know what to do next. Friends of the family or members of his mother's side of the family, just looked at him with undisguised pity, and brought too many damn disgusting casseroles.

His sister was the only one who attempted to comfort him by sneaking in onion rings, real deep dish pizza, and his favorite cookies, who made fun of the nurses and the doctors behind their backs, and just hugging him, without being asked.

_Maybe I play selfish games, however, I never thought my sister, would have to pay the price._

_Why the hell, did she go after me anyway...if was going to cause her this sort of distress?_

_Because she loves you, and sometimes love is defined by sacrifice, a voice that sounded remarkably like his mother, accented, and husky (due to her smoking habit), crooned in a the back of his head.._

Sebastian buried his head deeper into the pillows, but he couldn't shake off the peculiar feeling of guilt circulating in his body, making him feel uncomfortable in his skin, and antsy, like he should be doing something. Anything besides laying in his nice, cozy, bed.

_But what? I don't know what to say or do. I'm not good at the comforting shit. Evangeline is the one who gives a flying fuck about people, that's not my job. That's never been my job. I'm a taker, not a giver. Though there have been times that I wanted to try..._

_Like after the accident, and when I finally came home from the hospital, Evangeline looked like she was falling apart under the burden of trying to manage the house, fussing after me, and attempting not fail out of college. All I remembered from that time, after the pain, was her wan, lined face, making her look like she was in her forties instead of twenty. And the epic fights between her and Father, about booze missing from the liquor cabinet until she ran away to LA._

_I will always blamed my dad for her leaving us, and I didn't see her again until I was sixteen._

_When I came back from Paris, during the summer after she finished rehab, Evangeline was like a ghost, pale, and waxy. She lived in her own little world, while I was kept at arm's length by some invisible perimeter that I couldn't broach, no matter how hard I tried. I had to wait outside it, and though she was sober, Evangeline was still wasting away in my eyes._

_That meek rabbit, who flinched away from everyone's touch, and refused to engage in eye contact, wasn't my sister. Something was ripped out of her. Evangeline will never admit it to me or Father...but something horrific happened to her in LA._

_And when I tried to get her to spill the beans, so I could fix it and return her to her old self, she just pulled farther away from me._

_I come back for good, and my sister is back to her old self because of that moronic Zach, of all people. Now, I'm here, and she's on the edge of cracking._

_Why am I such...a problem?_

_Why am I such a fucking burden?_

_I know that I messed up, but it seems that even when I have tried to do the right thing in the past, I'm still wrong. The best thing I can do, the only thing, that I can do, it just follow her stupid rules and do whatever she wants, even though I'm going to be miserable..._

_And just hope that, I didn't shatter her or our "siblinghood" forever._

Slowly, stretching out like Milo after taking a nap in a patch of sunshine, Sebastian, threw off the clothes that he slept in the night before and took a quick shower( Milo finally reared his lazy head and attempted to follow him, but Sebastian managed to keep the feline out of his bathroom). The cat seriously had a fascination with bath). After drying off, Sebastian dressed in a pair of dark-wash jeans and a simple green polo before turning his attention the heap of homework that awaited him.

_I guess that is the only benefit to being grounded. There is nothing to distract me from my studies..._

_Fuck my life._

Sebastian made it through his Latin assignment and the required reading in Grendel, and several problems in his late AP Physics homework, before falling asleep, his nose deeply pressed into his textbook.

His unscheduled nap, lasted for two hours, until it broken by Evangeline hollering up the stairs,"Sebastian...Sebastian...SEBASTIAN," He jolted awake, not really focusing on Evangeline's words, "there is this...girl...to see you." Attempting to fix his normal coif, he walked down the hallway, and shouted over the second floor landing, " What?"

Peering up at him with her hands on her hips, Evangeline huffed, " Just get your butt down here."

With a slightly sleepy shrug, Sebastian followed her directive without much fuss. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he walked into the living room. He immediately froze at the sight of Brittany, in a teal dress with some weird shiny shit that formed a abstract design, sitting on the mocha-colored leather couch, with Milo curled up on her lap.

_She was fucking serious about coming over?_

_And really, Milo...you are such a little traitor, along with having really awful taste._

"I have a cat too. His name is Lord Tubbington, but he's kinda of fat. I think he eats a lot because he's lonely, which is sad. I think he and Milo could be good friends," Brittany scratched under Milo's chin and was rewarded with a loud, rolling purr.

"What..."Sebastian started to speak but was cut off, by an enthusiastic exclamation of " Hi, pegasus!"

Evangeline had to put down her mug of tea, as she started to cackle, her hands pressed over her stomach, and her eyebrows were raised in amusement at Sebastian's expense.

Folding his arms across his chest, Sebastian sneered, " Can't you cut the pegasus crap out?"

Brittany titled her head to the side, "Why? That's what you are. Kurty is a happy unicorn and you are a grumpy, childish pegasus who needs to learn to be nice."

'Ain't that the truth," Evangeline shot back as she took a sip of her tea and picked up the harmonica that was resting on the table, her fingers tapping against the metallic surface.

Staring at each woman in turn, Sebastian targeted his focus on Brittany and tried to ignore the smirking smile on his sister's face, that was so damn annoying to have to look at, " How did you, " Sebastian empathized each word slowly, "figure out where I live?"

"Tana helped me, along with the GPS thingy that she gave me for my birthday so I don't get lost anymore but I think it's time that I took you to Kurt's house...so he won't be sad or mad at me for being mean."

Sebastian was relieved to say, " I can't. I'm grounded," he snapped his fingers, " Oh, darn. I guess you have to leave."

Brittany tilted her head to the right, her eyes slightly wide, "Does that mean that you have to live underground with gnomes? That might explain why you are so cranky all the time."

Evangeline quirked an eyebrow. her face calm and deliberate as Sebastian watched a glint of a dangerous thought bloom in her hazel eyes," I think I can make an exception."

"After that whole conversation, we just had. You're just..., You're ….insane..."

" Not really. Think of this as a test. Have a nice, quiet, play date with Kurt, get home before nine, and maybe I can see that you're 'sorry " means something and that I can slowly begin to trust you, " she paused," Well, there is also the issue of Zach coming here in a hour and I'm not sure you two should be in the same zip code as each other . Plus I like and trust Kurt," Evangeline sent a flirty wink in Brittany's direction, " And I can't exactly say no to a cute blonde.." a leer, disturbingly familiar to his own, that he had practiced in the mirror for so many years to get just the right mix of smooth and cocky (except maybe her's was a tad more playful, than serious) , took over Evangeline's face.

Sebastian blinked at her blankly.

_Translation from Evangeline's logic: She knows that I'll suffer more if I'm stuck in the car with Pollyanna for more than a hour, then if I remain here._

_Though I don't what happened between dollface and my sister, during their audition or little online chats, I know that she is plotting something that involves him and...me. I'm well-aware of her "scheming" face._

_Evangeline can't pull a fast one on me._

_Not like I have a clue about what could be so dastardly about putting me and Kurtsie in the same room together._

Brittany took the opportunity, of a silent and still pondering Sebastian, to get up from her seat, while Milo protested against the loss of her warm lap. She linked her arm with Sebastian's and practically dragged him away, " Don't worry...I won't let him do anything bad. I'm really good at babysitting."

* * *

"It's times like this make me wish, that I was really a vampire," Tina sighed gently as as she ran her hands over the purchases that she made at the mall, earlier with Kurt, that were now spread out all over his bed in a haphazard mess, "because I would use my superhuman strength to rip out Blaine's throat…"

Twirling a lock of her wavy hair, Tina pondered, " I'm not sure I would drink his blood though….it would be probably taste nasty. Blech."

"Blech, indeed, " Kurt snorted, with his nose slightly crinkled. "And of the two us, I'm pretty sure that you're the one that can pull the vampire look off."

Tina giggled and it was contagious enough for Kurt to join in.

Today has just been a good day. Better than I expected.

When he had picked up Tina for their shopping date, he was prepared for any worst case scenario, because maybe Tina was quiet and contemplative, but once the switch was flipped she could turn into a demon woman. Artie could attest to that ability, and Kurt was pretty sure that Mike had been exposed to that of her personality as well when it came to the issue of his mother. being an uninvited guest on their dates.

As they toured through the Lima Mall ( otherwise known as the most pathetic excuse of a mall in America) Kurt had slowly and gently broke the news of what exactly happened between him and Blaine ( there were some parts he skimmed over, but it was generally the whole story). Tina didn't say anything at first; she continued to stroll through the stacks on clothing at Hot Topic, with her lips formed in a thin, white line (there was a part of Kurt that wanted to find a way to burn the establishment down without getting arrested for arson, but he had to admit that Tina was able to magically make the their ensembles work) She kept on picking up belts, purses, and earrings before putting them down after a quick glance, her face otherwise a blank mask.

Despite the emo pop that was blasting from the speakers it felt like Kurt was deaf and regain his hearing once Tina gave him some form of feedback. Kurt had never thought that Tina and Blaine were that close; Tina always seemed wrapped up in her own little universe with Mike, especially since he was going to be graduating this year, while she remained in Lima for another year. But there were plenty of people that had chosen Blaine over him, despite knowing him first.

One more person was expected, Kurt had realized when he brought up this subject, even if Tina turned on him, he could find a way to deal with it. There were people like Puck, Brittany, Chandler, and even Santana had seemed to care….

_And thought of why should I be around someone that can't listen to me and trust me to be telling the truth?_ kept streaming through his brain, reminding Kurt it wasn't the end of the world. It would just be nice if he could keep one of his oldest friends.

When Tina and Kurt had approached the counter, for Tina to pay for her new outfit, Tina had faced Kurt, and said quietly," It's a lot to take in, I wish you talked to me earlier about this. But I can see that's hard for you talk about this….I know I'm always vocal about my issues with Mike, but if I was put into your position, I wouldn't be. And based on how Blaine and Rachel have been acting….." Tina trailed off as she handed off her debit card to the cashier with the eyebrow piercing, her face skewed into a severe grimace," You can count on me."

She swiftly added," And Mike."

Kurt had to roll his eyes at that, if anyone was whipped into submission (besides Finn) it would be Mike. When Tina made a decision, Mike snapped to it, which was weird but sort of adorable in a puppy dog sort of way.

The rest of the afternoon had been spent trawling through the mall, and Tina treating him to lunch at Chipotle. She informed Kurt that the whole routine for Sectionals had been dismantled, since he turned "traitor," and now it was just pure chaos, that was not helped by Rachel attempting to bride Lauren and some of her AV club followers to join. It hadn't down well and Rachel had been creamed with several expired Cadbury eggs. Tina had also mentioned that the cashier at Hot Topic had been totally checking him out (which was a ridiculous thought, and Kurt could tell Tina was just trying to make him feel better about himself in a strange way) and he eventually found a teal cashmere scarf that was 25% off before leaving.

And now here they were, with Tina's new outfit on display, and after he gave in and showed Tina the picture of Sebastian and Blaine together, she helped him search his bedroom for anything that reminded him of "Frodo.' Tina wanted to burn everything but Kurt determined that wasn't necessary (except for the over the top clownish bowties, those crimes to humanity were going to die, hard) throw everything in a cardboard box labeled, " Blaine's Stupid Shit."

Sitting cross legged on his bed, Tina reached over and held both of his hands, squeezing them tightly before releasing them, " I miss this. You and I hanging out together. I can be a little crazy about Mike, but…..I really neglected our friendship lately."

'It takes two to tango." Kurt scoffed at himself before picked at the cuffs of his sleeves.

It was the truth really. The moment that he met Blaine, Kurt had zoomed on him, and he forget about everyone else. It was part of the reason why everyone seemed to believe that they were more than friends in the beginning. Mercedes was the only one who was vocal about the issue, and Kurt ignored her concerns, along with his behavior. Though it wasn't like Blaine really allowed him to step out of his limited box at Dalton; he was always there begging for attention or advice, or compliments and at that point Kurt went along with it….

But back then Blaine could never be wrong…...even though his advice in regards to David was crap, and confronting him in public was a disaster but Kurt had gone along with it.

Kurt wasn't sure if Noah's stance of "bros before ho's, " really applied to him, but he was never going to make the mistake of just ignoring his real friends again. He was better person than that.

_I need to start working on the surprise costumes for Tina and Mike. The only Halloween part I know of is Rachel's shindig which I already know that I'm not invited to and well, after the last time, who believes that is going to be a good idea…._

"Well, I promise not to be a self-absorbed donkey if you do," Tina remarked, as she started to pick up her clothes. With a smile, Kurt extended his pinky, " I double pinky swear." Tina giggled as she accepted it.

"Come on, let's start out little _Poltergeist_ marathon," Tina walked up the stairs, and headed to the kitchen, while Kurt slowly got off his bed. Grabbing a pair of soft, black sweatpants, and a dark, grey long sleeved shirt with the Hummel Lube and Tires emblazoned on the front, he walked into his en-suite bathroom and changed. Unless there was some emergency, he wasn't going out for the evening and no one else was coming over, so it didn't matter what he looked like. His dad and Carole and decided to go out and celebrate their victory (and part of him believed they were finishing up the evening in a motel, a fact Kurt wasn't suppose to know about) and Finn….

Kurt didn't really give a shit where his ex stepbrother was, the only exception was if he stayed away from him.

Stripping off his light grey skinny jeans, and stepping into the more comfort sweatpants, he pulled off his sweater, dress shirt, and the plain cotton tee he wore underneath. With a tight frown, Kurt expected the bruise on his arm. It was no longer purple but it had transformed into a puke green with a shadow of light yellow around the edges..

_I just want it to go away. I don't want to a single reminder of that….two faced wanton, son of a bitch. Nothing. The bruise is like the last symbolic hold that he has on me….or just the curse of having fair skin._

Kurt put on his sleeping shirt, before going back into his room and starting to set up for the proper Kurt sleepover experience. He dragged the inflatable mattress that he already blew up from leaning against the wall to on the floor by the end of the bed and near his TV along with grabbing a few throw blankets and body pillows ( excluding Bruce of course) to make it more comfortable. As Kurt put the movie in, he saw Tina plodding down the steps with a tub of freshly buttered popcorn in his arms and a few bags of candy in her mouth. Kurt helped her the rest of the way down and settled into mattress while Tina changed into her own pajamas in his bathroom.

When Tina returned she sat by Kurt's side and ripped into the bag of Junior Mints. Kurt rested his head against her shoulder as he pressed play.

It started out a enjoyable evening, they both laughed at some of the hokey special effects (but Kurt was saving up his laughter for the less crafted sequels-at least here there were enjoyable characters, a plot that made sense, and the psychic was the bomb in his opinion-even though the point of these movie marathons was usually to take bets on who would die first. Maybe Kurt had never been a boy scout, but he always wanted to be prepared in case if his life turned into horror film (again).

Plus, it had been awhile since Kurt had seen a horror movie because Blaine said they were beneath them, trashy, without purpose, and refused to watch them, even though Kurt watched Blaine's football games and The English Patient over, over , and over again.

The quiet but enjoyable evening at home changed when the doorbell rang. They were at the part that investigator had walked into the bathroom and was watching his reflection as it tore his flesh off. The most freaky but best part, in Kurt's opinion.

Kurt hoped for a moment that Finn would appear out of nowhere and answer it, but by the sound of the insistent pressing of the bell and the accompanying pounding against their door. It didn't seem likely. He muttered, " I'll get it." Tina paused the movie and swooped up another handful of popcorn.

When Kurt made it upstairs and opened the door he did not expect to be greeted by the sight of Santana Lopez. Especially with her eyes red ringed and her long, ebony hair severely disheveled. Before Kurt could bat an eye, Santana smirked, " Nice look, Tinkerbell. Homeless hobo suits you," before barging past him into the Hummel-Hudson living room.

" Can I ask why you're gracing me with your presence, Satan?" Kurt questioned as he arched a single eyebrow in her direction. Even when he was on Cheerios, none of the other girls came to his house, except for Brittany, who thought his bedroom was like a palace for Eskimos He had changed things (more color, for instance) since his sophomore year but Dior grey was still a major influence.

"Didn't you get my memo?" Santana's eyes roamed through his living room as she rummaged through her black hobo-style purse.

"What memo?"

"The memo that I'm actually gracing your little pad with my presence, on a Saturday night while I already had so many more exciting engagements," she removed a bottle with paper bag around it, and flicked off the cap on the ground and took a greedy gulp of what appeared to be whiskey.

With her eyes slightly narrowed in frustration, Santana snapped, " And I thought you were supposed to be smart," with that Santana wandered away and Kurt could hear the basement door being forcibly opened. He picked up the cap and threw it away.

_Yay, alcohol. That's exactly what we need and things go so damn well when I'm near it_.

Coming down the stairs, Kurt could see that he already had a predicament. Santana had snatched the popcorn away from Tina, and was loudly complaining, " This is what you do on a Saturday? What a pair of dorks!"

"Well, you can always leave, " Tina responded darkly.

Santana didn't answer, she only took another sip directly from her now uncovered bottle of Jack Daniels. Carefully sitting himself between her and Tina, Kurt snacked on a few Reese Pieces and attempted to ignore the tension that was coming off in waves from Santana. Tina pressed play, but Kurt found himself not being able to focus on the film anymore.

I'm not a fool. I tried to text Santana yesterday and I received no response. I'm not sure if she had a confrontation with her parents yet or what happened, but clearly the result wasn't in her favor. But I'm not going to push it. If she wants to talk, I'll be there and if she doesn't that's fine….as long as she doesn't do anything reckless because then I'll be forced to intervene.

Still, Kurt couldn't help to notice how her jaws were clenched, the way she was scarfing down popcorn, or the significant progress she was making with her whiskey. He was jolted by his observations when a pair of nails punctured his skin and Satan buried her head into his shoulder, and the bowl of popcorn she had been holding tumbled to the floor, spilling its contents everywhere.

Santana groaned," Why didn't anyone warn me about the clown?" Looking up, Kurt could see that now that they were at the pair of the clown doll coming to alive and attacking the little boy ( it had been the tree scene had always bothered him the most, but the clown was sort of sketchy)

Patting her head, Kurt said softly, " I didn't think Satan was scared of anything….."

'Well, think about it...what normal person wants to grow up and become a clown? I don't know anyone so that leaves serial killers and other wackos," Santana peeked her head out, "Is the foul creature gone?"

"Pretty sure," Tina snickered slightly.

Santana lifted her head up, but otherwise remained glued to Kurt's side making it difficult for him to stretch out or move. Occasionally, Santana still would take another sip of her drink, but she was slowing down and her cheeks were now burning a bright red. Around twenty minutes later, the film was over, but before Tina could pop in the sequel, Santana shakily got her feet, and pawed through Kurt's dvd collection. She skipped through the first half that was devoted to musicals and to his selection of horror movies.

"Let's see, " she hiccupped, pulling out Repo Opera: The Genetic Opera, "Paris Hilton's face falls off...that could be entertaining or, " she held out Fargo, with wide, wicked smile "wood chipper time ….." before dropping both movies to the floor. Santana picked up something from the back and looked over the summary, " Sexy chick gets turned into a werewolf….score." Santana put in Ginger Snaps before returning to her position besides Kurt, and continued to violate his personal space (he really didn't expect her to be a cuddler), Tina looked like she was about to protest but Kurt gave her a look of, "Santana may be evil but she is going through something.

"Fine," Tina sighed as she turned on the movie.

Maybe it wasn't exactly what they planned, but _Ginger Snaps_ was rather fun and it had been awhile since Kurt had seen it. They were barely ten minutes in, when there was loud thump just above their heads. All three turned their eyes skywards,

Kurt was the first to comment, "It's probably just Finn attempting to cook and he exploded the microwave," he added mournfully," Again."

Santana wildly cackled at that idea for a beat too long, before focusing her attention back on the movie.

Five minutes later, a more thunderous thud was heard, and Kurt starting to get a little bit more concerned, Santana said flippantly " I guess Frankenteen forget how to walk too."

Tina giggled but it was quiet and weak.

A few seconds later, terrified screech of, "Please stop fighting," rang out. Without thinking Kurt got up and was followed by a more clumsier Santana and Tina in tow. The basement door lead out to the kitchen and Kurt grabbed the nearest solid cylindrical object he could find. He barely had time to look at it before storming into the living room where he heard the hoarse roar of, " I don't know where you got your info, Lurch, but I would never do something so fucking repulsive, especially not to him."

Waving his weapon, Kurt rushed, "I don't know who you are but I have a…." looking at what he actually held in his hands, Kurt mumbled out,"...rolling pin,"

_Great work, Kurt. Real threatening._

There was no time to fret over his choice in defense, because the scene in front of him made little sense. Brittany was standing in the middle between Finn….and fucking Sebastian Smythe, trying not to cry, but her panicked eyes, and the red cheeks gave it away.

_I leave Finn alone, try to have a nice quiet evening, and this happens. Just, really?_

_Really?_

Santana ran to her side shooting feral and threatening at everyone in the room (but most were focused on Sebastian). Finn was sitting on the ground, his nose and lower face covered in blood.

And top off this scene was Sebastian, standing as if he owned the room with a bruise forming over his left eye and split lip that was oozing blood. He spat at the direction of Finn's feet before looking up at Kurt, with a smirky leer ( a combination that Kurt didn't think was possible), "What's shaking, Princess? Were you making cookies for your ogre here?"

Kurt didn't bother to answer.

He did put the rolling pin down, on the glass topped coffee table.

"Shit," Tina gasped as she looked over at the carnage as she peered around Kurt's shoulder, 'What the hell happened?"

Finn seemed to be struggling to get his mouth to function underneath Kurt's insistent and demanding stare,. Sebastian sauntered a few steps towards Kurt, smirking at the sight of Kurt's" Step off, bitch," glare. " Your…" Sebastian carefully considered his words under Santana's watch as she trailed her fingers through Brittany's loose hair, " little blonde friend kidnapped me…"

'Drama queen," Brittany commented as she entwined her fingers with Santana, Her girlfriend surveyed Brittany's face, "I didn't think you were serious about that…."

"I'm always serious when it comes to my unicorn…."

Mockingly, Sebastian shook his head at the pair, " And before I could knock, Lurch opened the door and punched me in the face. Not exactly proper butler behavior," Sebastian said, scornfully, and something hot in his eyes, "and started eschewing all this nonsense of me fucking you and giving you a STD or as he more politely defined it as the clap. "

"And we both know I won't touch you with a ten foot pole because uptight, twink isn't exactly what I'm into," Sebastian pointed at Kurt," Though right now you look like a little boy in the middle of a precious sleepover with his best hag."

Insulting, cruel Sebastian was something Kurt manage. Sebastian's comments stung but at the his point they were at the least of Kurt's concerns. When he instant messaged with the sex obsessed dick, it wasn't really the comments that he made about his and Blaine's relationship, that bothered him and made him feel unclean, but the sexualized statements about them together.

Now, Kurt knew exactly how 'family friendly' the conversations were between Blaine and Sebastian when he wasn't around. It made the pain of being cheated on and treated worse than a dog, multiplied to the tenth power or something along those lines. To be other guy at Sebastian's hackneyed pick up lines….felt gross.

The last few encounters with the Warbler were disturbing because they went against the pattern that was in place since the meerkat stepped in his life. Sebastian attacked him, usually something to do with his appearance or personality, and Kurt slashed back. It was a strange macabre dance that they played, but Kurt at least knew his role, along the steps, but Sebastian changed the rules, it was chaos. Kurt simply didn't know what was going nor did he care.

He only wanted the horse-faced Warbler to leave him alone.

_But at least this clears things up and defines our relationship back into black and white, like the players on a chessboard. Before Sebastian had to be desperate or wanted a different way to humiliate me. Thankfully I was smart enough to see the trap before I stepped into it. Sebastian's just a small guppy, not exactly someone that I need to concern myself._

_Right now, I have bigger fish to fry._

Tina was helping Finn to his feet. Finn was trying to wipe off the blood with his hand…..

_Not at all hygienic._

Pushing back the strand of hair from his forehead that refusing to remain in place, Kurt bent his knee as he started to tap a fast rhythm with his sock clad foot, his face impassive but with a touch of fury at the corners, ready to burst out, " Pray tell me where you got that inaccurate info…...Hudson."

Finn looked bashful, running his hands through his finger, as if he was kid that kept getting caught sneaking a cookie before dinner ( which actually happened last week, to Kurt's knowledge except it was more like a handful of cookies) ," Well….Ummm….Blaine said the reason you were acting out and being so shitty to everyone was because you were dealing with the fallout of your mistake", Finn gestured to Sebastian which gifted him a scoff in return, " I was just trying to protect you, dude….I'm the good guy in this, even though you're being a really ungrateful…...snot, Hummel."

Even though, Kurt knew there was no way that this was going to end well, he marched forward, " You're the good guy in this? Kept telling yourself that, but then your new fearless leader can help you out with telling you with what to think….."

"You know that you are in the wrong in this, right. Be honest with yourself and do the right thing and get back with Blaine because what you are doing is like...cruel and unusual punishment and that's like against the law or something."

_First Rachel, now Finn….how many times do I have to explain myself? And if they despise me so much then why don't they pretend that I don't exist?_

'At least I don't go around calling people homophobic slurs and outing "friends", and generally act like hypocritical piece of…." and then it happened, staring at Finn's confused, but still unrepentant face, Kurt lost control. Skin meets skin, and a resounding slap filled the room, and when Kurt looked at his hand there was swears of blood.

_I really wasn't planning on doing that. Is it bad that I find violence to be sort of satisfying?_

"What the hell was that?" Finn rubbed against his jaw.

"I told you to not intervene with my life and not to call me "dude" anymore," Kurt gritted out before he left living room and padded over to the kitchen to wash his hands. He heard Finn trying to go after him but another slap hit him in the face and stopped him in his tracks, " You heard Lady Hummel. Back the shit off, and that was for yesterday you-" and string of Spanish followed from Santana's mouth that Kurt was pretty sure Mr. Schuester would refuse to translate.

"Yeah, right now you're like the opposite of Batman," Brittany helpfully added.

Washing his hands, Kurt pulled a sheet of the paper towel roll , but before he could throw it away, he noticed lightly golden hands on either side of him on the laminate countertop, caging him in, along with a warm body pressed against his back…

"That was hot," Sebastian whispered hotly into his neck, and Kurt suppressed a slight shiver at the in Sebastian's words…..along with disgust….

Slowly, maneuvering himself to face Sebastian, he was greeted with dark green eyes, the ones that he seen at Lima Bean that looked so damn hungry…..

_Surprise, surprise. I guess he's back to his stupid games. I wish he would keep stop toying with me or at least remain with a constant plan of attack…..or perhaps he ate a bad slice of meat and prions are slowly turning his brain to swiss cheese…._

_Mad Cow disease would explain so much_.

Slowly maneuvering himself around, Kurt lifted his chin, his eyes narrowed before pressing a finger against Sebastian's chest. A chest that was only a few inches away from his own, "Thanks for the Paris Hilton impression, however I have heard better. Much better."

Sebastian backed off, his smile twisted into a mocking grin, but he remained nearby. He propped himself on the nearest countertop, picking up one of the smiling mushroom salt and pepper shakers (Kurt was sure that Finn was responsible for those two abominations…..maybe they are cute but they refused to go with anything.) Sebastian tossed it back between his hands, and Kurt carefully watched him,

"Just because Brittany brought you here, " and again I really need to have a conversation with that gi_r__l_, " doesn't mean you have to stay. I bet a night out at Scandals is more your speed. isn't it?"

'Trying to get rid of me already, dollface?"

_Yes._

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. This is eye-opening and it will really help me with my paper on the cycle of poverty…..I'm never going to be ungrateful for all my nice things again….." Sebastian jeered as he gestured to the Hudson-Hummel household.

Kurt found himself stepping up into Sebastian space, between his legs ( a choice he would look at with nauseaat a later moment) " You're a messed up human being just like me, with horse teeth, and penchant for douchebaggery It's not like you're the Birckabritt donkey who spits gold out of his ass or you can buy any class."

There were claiming hands on his shoulders, and Kurt was greeted with a fierce scowl. Kurt shrugged the hands off and walked away until he heard a tentative voice call out, begging for his attention, " You know I heard some things….but I didn't know that Gel Brain was saying that you cheated on me."

"That's really fucked up."

"Thanks for stating the obvious," Kurt snarked, his back to Sebastian and waiting for the excuse to throw the Warbler out of his kitchen.

"You should have told me," Sebastian demanded

Spinning around, Kurt stuck out his hip, and attempted to blow a strand of hair out of his face instead of fiddling with it like he wanted to, " First, my life is none of your concern. Two, there is nothing you could have done about it, and three, why would you care anything about what happens to me, when you have been made it obvious I'm just some…..new toy that you want to rip apart…."

'Don't be so self-centered, Kewpie. This slur affects my reputation and my honor as well, "the comment was cocky and Kurt could see the standard, Sebastian Smythe smirk but there something off about it…..the douchebaggery this time didn't reach his eyes.

It didn't stop Kurt from throwing out, " I wasn't aware that you understood the concept of honor or you were delusional enough to think you had any in the first place."

"Anderfuck...shouldn't get to walk around like he's knight when he isn't," Sebastian said more quietly, with a voice that slightly cracked at the end, and he rubbed his left eye, that was definitely going to be swollen by tomorrow.

Kurt knew he could just order Sebastian out of his house, try to scrap the rest of his evening, but seeing Sebastian like this, all banged up ( _after attempting to defend me…..when is the last time someone actually stood up for me? Despite his posturing Blaine, never really did…..he made me fight against the meerkat alone while he was sitting there all smiles, and googly eyes_) like a five year who fought over his favorite toy. He found his feet dragging him towards the refrigerator and fetching an ice pack (Finn needed them regularly for football and when he had a dance related accident). Wrapping it up one of the clean, small towels in the drawer located by the dishwasher, Kurt awkwardly padded over to Sebastian's side. Pressing the ice pack against Sebastian's face, Kurt braced himself for a barrage of insults to be hit with, and for a minute nothing happened.

He noticed the note of alarm in Sebastian's one open wide eye, but he didn't protest. Sebastian leaned into his touch, eagerly, almost nuzzling into Kurt's hand.

Kurt dropped the ice pack, in shock.

There was a flash of confusion, before a schooled look of haughty indifference took over Sebastian's visage, " Looks like when you fail at your little dream of becoming a star, being a nurse shouldn't be your fallback option….You're a little rough, sweetheart."

_See Kurt? This is what happens when you attempt to be nice to your arch enemy….._

Kurt blanched at the sneered endearment, "Not I would ever been caught dead in scrubs,"

With a measured toss of her head, Kurt snipped, in a tone that would give most frostbite, the next few words slowly to get through the layers of product that had to be holding Sebastian's hair in check, even after his little fight, "Now. Get. Out. Of. My. House."

Sebastian just laughed-laughed at Kurt-his eyes mischievous and glinting, "Sure, Kurtsie. I'll get on it."

Ignoring the sarcasm loaded in the Warbler's response, Kurt walked away and muttered under his breath, " Good."

In his bedroom, Tina stopped sipping on her Sprite to say, " I helped Finn out with the nose issue...and he still won't stop babbling about kicking the jackass's….ass," she shook her head,

_Well, the meerkat's survival instincts better kick in in order to prevent a massacre from the hands of the unfriendly giant, because I'm not stepping in. And really Finn? If you are going to insult someone, please expand your vocabulary._

Tina appeared to be on the same wavelength as his thoughts, "His words not mine…..and he couldn't still go on about how messed you were to sleep with someone like that. I tried to get him to listen but it was a total….fail."

Breaking her slow, languid kisses with Brittany, Santana gulped down another swallow of whiskey bitterly, "You tried your best girl-Chang but there is way too much fat and gummy worms lodged in his ears to hear you."

'And know that he worships at the feet at the golden calf that is barf, it won't matter," Santana ducked her head into Brittany's shoulder, and nuzzled Brittany's cheek.

Sliding himself in between Santana and Tina again, this time it was much tighter fit for Kurt, even with Brittany basically slumped over into Santana's lap. Picking up the remote, Kurt yawned slightly, "Let's just focus on watching someone else turn into a monster and watch their life burn down in flames instead of mine."

And again Kurt was enjoying himself, pointing out Mimi Roger's character's horrible fashions sense, wondering how difficult it would be to learn how to add monster makeup to his skill set, and snacking on Snow-Caps.

But of course it couldn't last.

In the corner of his eyes, Kurt could see Sebastian sneak down the stairs. Santana was the first to send out a hostile barb, " Fivel, just because you beat up fetus face doesn't mean that you're welcome here. So how about you get your preppie self out of here before I introduce you some Lima Heights adjacent hospitality and make a necklace with your teeth."

Sebastian clocked his head to the side, " Cute, really cute but blondie there is my ride home." Sebastian's eyes seemed to be lingering on his things, and Kurt could almost see the thoughts churning in the rodent-face's brain, mocking the hanging white chair in the corner, the box labeled," Blaine's Stupid Shit," and the few articles of clothing that were scattered about.

_He needs to leave. Now. This is my sanctuary and no pompous, boyfriends stealing, warblers are allowed._

"There is a reasonable solution to that," Kurt swallowed, twisting the navy blanket alarming tight in his hands, " call a cab or a limo. I'm sure that you can afford it."

'Nah, don't wanna….."

Sitting there calculating the odds of him and the girls rushing Sebastian, wondering if maybe they could throw him out, Sebastian strolled through his bedroom, his hands roaming over his possessions, and an smirk was present. When Sebastian made his way to his dresser and picked up a framed photograph of his mother and him sitting together at a birthday party, and Kurt heard the chuckles…. he made a move to get up

Tina held onto Kurt's arms and mouthed," It's not worth it," while Santana and Brittany appeared to be in a heated match of murmured whispers. After a few more tense minutes, where Kurt completely lost track of what was going in the movie, Sebastian crawled into Kurt's bed (I'm going to disinfect those sheets….with bleach or just burn them), his feet way too near for his pillows for comfort…..

"Nice bed, Kewpie….wanna give it a test drive with me?" Sebastian said loudly enough to capture Brittany's attention.

" Why are you so bad at flirting?" she deadpanned.

"Why don't you keep an eye on your girlfriend before she goes gets herself married to Jack Daniels," Sebastian extended a lean finger in Santana's direction who had brought the bottle to her lips, again. His expression hardened ,as he looked at the amount of alcohol missing from Santana's bottle.

"Shit," Kurt felt the word caress against his ear, before Sebastian reached over and snatched the bottle away. Santana attempted to turn over and get it back and stumbled onto her knees.

'That's mine," Santana rasped. She weakly attempted to pounce up and push Sebastian away from her alcohol. With a humorless chuckle, Sebastian easily shoved her away.

Sebastian power-walked into Kurt's bathroom before Santana could attempt to tackle him onto the ground. Kurt could hear the alcohol being spilled down his sink, and a for a split second he was almost grateful for Sebastian, because he was sure if he tried, he wouldn't have don't that far.

A very distressing thought.

Sebastian sauntered back with folded arms as Santana looked like was about to claw off his face.

"Believe me Sha-Queer-a, I'm actually doing you a favor," Sebastian sat down at the edge of the bed, " Craptastic whiskey, is never a good solution to your "emotional problems," he formed actual air quotes, his eyes looked faraway for a moment, " So spill your guts so you don't destroy the rest of your liver and your brain. Not saying that there is much left to save…."

"If Santana wants to talk she will do it, once your horse face has left the building," Kurt pressed a hand to Santana's shoulder, trying to insert himself between the two of them to the best of his ability.

Rapidly shaking her head, her black hair spilling over her shoulders, a few tears trickled down Santana's face, as Brittany attempted to shush her, but Santana blurted out," My own grandmother rejected me for talking about being a lesbian. Does that fucking qualify enough as an "emotional problem," as her body started to shake.

Sebastian shrugged in manner that appeared to be casual but Kurt could see that it was fake,

" People suck, they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain. Deal with it and move on. These issues are not your problem. You and the way that you react to it is your problem."

Kurt narrowed his eyes, it was abrasive and rough and maybe there was a kernel of truth in there but maybe it wasn't the time for it.

Putting his hands on Santana's shoulders, Kurt said calmly," You are Santa Diabla Lopez, the craziest, fiercest woman I know and maybe I don't know it wells like it is be rejected by my family, but I know this or anything else won't get in your way," Santana rested her head on his shoulder, and it seemed like the tears were starting to slow.\

'And me and you are really going to talk, once I exterminate the rodent," Kurt whispered into her ear, as he not so subtly jerked his head in Sebastian's direction.

'Thanks for gaying that up for us, Kurtsie," Sebastian smirked as he sloppily flopped down on Kurt's bed.

"Just shut the hell up, meerkat," Kurt hollered back. Tina threw a pillow in Sebastian's face before continuing to watch the movie, which was showing something about wolfsbane and needles, and Kurt was a little lost.

As the credits eventually rolled by, Tina looked up from her contemplative stare, as she picked at her cuticles," So does anyone want to talk about the huge plaid elephant in the room?"

Brittany raised her head, and slightly dislodged Santana from her position curled up around her body, "What elephant? I don't see any five-toed pachyderms….."

Santana yawned, "She doesn't meant it literally, honey," and made a grab gesture to pull Brittany back against her.

'That's good because it would be really awkward and cramped in here….."

'What I believe Elvira is trying to point out, " Tina shot him a glare at Sebastian, and muttered under her breath, " I liked it when you were quiet," Sebastian pressed on, " is that Blando has been saying very nasty things...and retaliation is in order. But don't worry, ladies I already have the perfect scheme."

The bewildered expression on Tina made it clear that wasn't exactly the direction she was heading in.

Both Kurt and Santana spun around rapidly to stare at Sebastian. Kurt raised an eyebrow and along with a expression, " you try to do anything all eat you alive for breakfast." Sebastian just laughed in his face. Santana, her voice low and menacing, threatened, " Believe me, we are perfectly capable of defending our own. If we need advice on being douchebags, we will call you, Sebastard."

"And maybe you were brought here, by some well-intentioned good hearted person, ' Kurt looked over at Brittany who had now gotten up to play with his scarf collection and had one draped around her neck, with a quirk of a smile on his lips, " but you're no friend of mine. and I want to to make it clear I want nothing to do with you."

'Who says that I want to be friends?" Sebastian insisted as he crawled to the edge of Kurt's bed. His eyes were hard and shiny, and Sebastian's mouth was cured in a crude facsimile of a smile, seeming to mock Kurt.

"My fucking reputation is at stake here. No one is going to sleep with me if they think that I'm 'diseased."

_Ah, I thought so….of course it has to do will him and his potential lack of fun._

"That's your problem then. I'm perfectly able to defend myself," Kurt crossed his arms around his chest and narrowed his eyes at the Warbler. He felt a hand on his shoulder, "With Satan's help of course.

'Sure defense," Sebastian rolled his eyes in annoyance, "maybe some moron said that defense is the best offense but that's total shit. Blainey has already had made several strikes against you and you barely have done anything. It's time for me to get involved help you Lima losers fight back."

Tina, Santana, and Kurt's expressions became tight and pained at the remark but Sebastian seemed not to be able to see it, or care. The corner of his lips turned upwards, but there was a predatory gleam in his eyes that Kurt wasn't a fan of because it meant something unpleasant in store for him; it was there when Sebastian was after Blaine or when Sebastian stared at Kurt before at the Lima Bean or the kitchen….

Kurt tried to back away but his reaction wasn't fast enough. Sebastian reached over and gave a sharp tug to Kurt's hair, forcing him to stay in place and look up at him. By the way Sebastian was positioned, it was like he was about to pounce, Kurt could almost imagine a tail twitching in delight with pointed ears stuck on Sebastian's head. He might have laughed at the image except for the expression of, '"you look a nice little mouse that I can devour," stamped on Sebastian's face.

With Sebastian's hot, warm breath caressing against the shell of his ear, Kurt could make out a murmur of, " If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant." Kurt attempted to fail away but he felt a what appeared to be Sebastian's slightly wet lips near his ear lobe, " I think we are done pretending to be weak, and the time is ripe for irritating the fuck out of Hair Gel. Don't you agree, little fox?"

Sebastian let go and right away Kurt noticed Santana's death glare laser- targeted at Sebastian, and Kurt sighed in relief as he attempted to fix the damage done to his hair.

Looking down at his wrist, Sebastian sarcastically drawled," It's been such a pleasure meeting all of you, but I need to get moving before your patheticness rubbing off on me." Without much preamble, Sebastian got off the bed and lead Brittany by the hand, " Bye Kurtie! I hope you had a great time with your pegasus, " and she blew a kiss in Santana's direction.

After they left, Santana left out a spew of Spanish and by the way that Tina was blushing, Kurt knew her swearing directed at the Warbler. Kurt ended up putting on Poltergeist II but after an hour, Santana fell asleep in his lap, making the experience less than comfortable. When the film was over, and despite it being only around 10:00pm. Kurt gingerly got up without disturbing Santana. While Tina worked to clean up the mess of the spilled popcorn and candy, Kurt attempted to make Santana more comfortable by taking off her shoes, drawing a throw blanket over her sprawled body and pillow under her head.

After cleaning up, Tina took the initiative of crawling into his bed. Kurt joined her, not even bothering to deal with his usual skin routine. He could hear whisper, " Good night Kurt, Sweet dreams."

But Kurt knew that there was no sweet dreams coming for him tonight.

His thoughts were a jumbled mess like someone was playing cat's cradle with his nerves. All he could make out was _Sebastian, plot, Sebastian, scheme, over and over again._

_Plot and scheme are two words that should not have anything to do with Sebastian. Or me. I just want Blaine to leave me alone and move on with life. I don't think that I'm asking for much. But based on the way people are acting it seems to be such an imposing request._

An hour later, after Kurt had counted all the cracks on his ceiling, Kurt found himself unable to fall asleep. Sighing with envy, as he listened to Tina slowly breath in and out, Kurt carefully snuck out of bed and up the stairs (avoiding the creaky step) and made enough warm milk for one. Sitting at round kitchen table, tucked into the corner, Kurt lazily ran a finger around the rim before taking a sip.

It's not like I don't want to fight, and perhaps it would be nice if Blaine got what he deserved but I have no interest in being involved in someone else's vendetta. Especially not someone like Sebastian who is capable of stabbing me in the back when I'm not looking…. and the best revenge is moving on and being happy in spite of everything

_Though I admit, that it was strange that he gave a damn about Santana's well being…..I mean I know that he went about it the wrong way but I could see the intent…..so maybe, just maybe Sebastian is 5% human underneath the sex machine exterior…_

_Doesn't mean I have to like him or his ideas, or the way he keeping trying to touch me….._

_And hair pulling that….seriously crosses the line._

_I don't know what Brittany is thinking but his wacko behavior has to be just another way to humiliate or destroy me. Just because he's used Blaine up doesn't give him the right to go after me or treat me like some rusty can he can kick around._

_And I'm really done with that sort of shit….._

_If he comes near me again, no matter how many witnesses, and the fact that he is a co-star….I will verbally eviscerate him until that smarky meerkat is unable to walk._

* * *

Evangeline leaned over the porch railing, her shoulders hunched, as a few strands of her hair escaped from her messy bun and trailed in the wind. Lights above her, illuminated the spic and span state of the veranda, without a stray leaf in sight on the slate colored wooden boards that contrasted against the blindingly white of the railing, and groupings of neo-classical columns. She dug her nails into a loose paint chip, until she knocked it free. Evangeline watched it fall for a second, before it disappeared into the darkness that laid in wait outside of the haven provided by the wrap around porch. The glowing, white face of the moon was smothered by a thick blanket of clouds. So far it seemed to be an uncomfortably warm fall, perhaps another lovely side effect of global warming, but now the once friendly breeze had the ability to claw through her clothes as if they were nothing.

Winter was slowly beginning its march towards Ohio.

_And death of everything is soon to follow._

Shivering, Evangeline zippered her old high school hoodie all the way up.. Her thumbs were poking out through the worn holes she cut into the cuffs, years ago. Scanning over the patio, to the small path that lead to the now covered pool, and fuzzy outlines of the trees that made up the orchard and the bushes that marked the beginnings of their gardens, Evangeline reminded herself not to check out the driveway for the tenth time, to not look out for her little brother's return .

_It was a fucking mistake to let him go out. But then again, it doesn't seem like I know what I'm doing. I'm not Maman. I can't come up with the exact words to make my brother turn into a 'real boy" or a real man any time soon._

_I can barely handle my own demons, adding his pack to the mix will tear me apart. There is a part of me that is okay with that, because it means surrendering, going back to a life that might not be what I want but is simple. A world where I can just drown my feelings away with a combination of scotch, beer, and whiskey. Feeling numb all the time is always better than feeling too much._

_I still want to help his fight through his personal shit, but I won't...I can't do it if he just stands there and mocks me. He has to to see how serious this situation has become. He's just going to get worse when the colder months start rolling in, and his flashbacks return in full force._

_Acting out and pretending that everything is alright, and "normal" isn't going to cut it anymore._

Pulling out a silver cigarette lighter, her fingers roamed over it, tenderly tracing the letters engraved into its surface: ESM, the monogram for Eupheme Merle Smythe. She flicked it open and watched a flame come to life, before killing it.

She repeated the motion, over and over again.

The slight warmth that it generated, took a pinch of chill away from her body; there was a time Evangeline delighted in winter. She embraced the coldness. Now there were blood soaked memories to accept. January 21st was coming, maybe it was still several months away, but it was still coming.

_My yearly test of sobriety, when the memories come flooding in and breaking past my internal dams. Memories of barely understood conversations. A man with his arm in a sling whispering "black ice, and they just skidded out of control, I tried to stop...but it was too late,,,,,I-I-I T-boned them...I'm so sorry..._

_"Sorry can't bring back the dead!" Papa hysterically shouting and nearly pulling out his hair, his glasses had been knocked to the ground and he's completely unaware of the development, "My Eupheme is just a mangled corpse, can your apologizes fix that?"_

_Sebastian's hair is covered in blood, metal is embedded in his thigh that has to be surgically excised. He looks like a fragile doll in a hospital bed that engulfs his skinny frame...and an alien looking, black cage surrounds his calf._

_External fixation device, the nurses tell me when I ask. Supposedly, it's not a big deal._

_There are worse things, they keep saying, trying to be comforting. I just want to rip off their faces, to get them to shut the hell up. I don't want to hear their chipper voices that are meant to be maternal but just ring false in my ears._

_I want to scream but I can't. Papa is somewhere, maybe talking to Uncle Derek. I don't know. I'm waiting by Sebastian's bed, trying to wake him up with my prayers, and mindlessly turning the pages of an old, faded issue of People, not understanding how the world keeps spinning on its axis without my mother._

_And who really gives a shit about how many babies Angelina and Brad adopt?_

_Staring out the window, seeing the pure snow being painted a hazy grey from car exhaust or slush, I don't want to believe that my mother...that Maman is gone. Gone forever. Never to smile or laugh or attempt to teach me how to cook, or just hold me when I need it or to call me every Friday at 8:30pm when I do my laundry, as a part of our ritual to stayed connected while I'm at college._

_She's just gone. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...she slips away from my fingertips._

_Then the only other thing I can recall is breaking into the family liquor cabinet for the first time to pour burning whiskey down my throat..._

Turning around, so her back was facing the backyard, Evangeline hiccupped at the sight of the porch swing, seeming to mock her by rocking in the wind

_We used to have one like that back home...when we lived in Washington D.C. On sunny days, Maman would read "Puss in Boots," or " The Little Prince." My head would be in her lap, her fingers always trying undo the work of the "Tangle fairy," while Sebastian would be sitting on a picnic blanket, on the floor, either staring at us in rapt attention or chewing a block._

_I understood why Papa wanted to leave, but why Ohio? Why a house almost identical to our old home?_

_There are plenty of states where there is no real winter...like Hawaii..._

_Hawaii could have been nice._

With a huff, Evangeline plopped herself on the swing, with more force than what was necessary. The back of the swing roughly smacked the light blue paneling. Evangeline rummaged through front pocket of her hoodie, ignoring her cell, house keys, a stick of gum, and finally she found her prize. Clutching the slightly crushed package of cigarettes, she picked one out, and lit it.

With a long drag, Evangeline watched the curl of smoke waft away into the night air.

Her mother defined herself as a "social smoker." At the old parties her parents used to throw, Evangeline would watch from the top of the stairs, along with Sebastian (technically, they should have been "asleep" but together they formed the perfect sneak away team). Observing Maman elegantly charm a whole room as the perfect hostess, with a long cigarette in one hand with her trademark strand of black pearls around her neck.

Like most little girls, Evangeline remembered doing anything to be just like her. She played the harp for seven long years (and hating every second of it) trying to dress and pick up her mother's mannerisms but it was like a pig wearing make up. It didn't work.

"She isn't debutante material," her spinster great aunt, Eunice, had stated so kindly, and loudly, over the years.

Her mother didn't care; she gave Evangeline the permission to do what she wanted (to date whoever she wanted) which besides singing, consisted of playing paintball with her guy friends, and gardening. A world that she crafted for herself away from her mother's domain.

After the accident, and Evangeline was left with most of her mother's possessions. Nothing felt right to claim as her own. She packed away the gowns, the shoes, the purses. Some she gave to younger cousins or to charity. The rest gathered dust in the attic, and the necklace of black pearls remained tucked away in the back of her closet, never to be worn again.

_Maybe I inherited Maman's looks...but it's Sebastian who inherited her personality. Not the immense douchebaggery, but the way of being able to capture the attention of almost everyone, how he can perceive a person's negative and positive qualities, and the sly_ way that he can maneuver his way into getting what he wants_. He can play politics while, I just blurt out everything like Papa, when he isn't in the courtroom._

_Sebastian uses his abilities for evil, that's what makes it difficult to see._

The cigarette lighter, though. just feels right, like it was made for my hand. Smoking, has been one of the few things that I have in common with my mother.

_It's a stupid and unhealthy thought, but logic and I have never been the best of friends._

_I admit this is the first time I've smoked since I entered rehab. And if Sebastian doesn't show up before 9:00pm, I'm probably going to end up smoking the whole pack, because the harmonica isn't really working at the moment._

The door that led to the sun room opened, and Zach stepped out into the porch. He shuffled over, with his hands in the pockets of his long cargo shorts He eyed the cigarette for a moment, his tongue licking his lips, a gesture Evangeline associated with Zach trying to concentrate during final exams.

"Ya know, I heard a rumor that those are kinda of bad for ya, They helped kill Walt Disney." It was supposed to be funny, but it came out flat. Better than the judgmental look her father would give her along with a lecture, even though he was the one that occasionally threw cocktail parties, forgetting she was still living at home, while she finished her degree program in education with an emphasis in music. At least Sebastian had never done that.

"I'm pretty sure he's still puttering around underneath the Magic Kingdom, guarding his hoard of gold and children's dreams," Evangeline quipped, before taking another drag. Zach sat down besides her, his exposed knee brushing against her own.

There was a spark, that make a tingle of blush appear on her cheeks.

Otherwise, Evangeline ignored it.

" Besides, " she said dryly, "it's the lesser of two evils, " when Zach opened his mouth with a prominent scowl, Evangeline quickly added, " Don't worry. I was a good girl and already called my sponsor"

"And what did good, old Bob have to say about the situation?"

"Oh the same old," she started to say in a imitation of the gruff trucker, " Ya brother is a god-damned asshole. Let me at him, and I'll teach him a few new tricks about being a decent human being."

"Sounds like a decent plan," Zach said, his tone somewhat rough, " After ya dad comes back, maybe ya can move onto campus. I know there are a few units in the non-drinking section..."

"I can't do that," Evangeline smashed the end of her cigarette against the arm board of the porch swing, her eyes focused on the dying embers than Zach's face. Though he had leaned in closer, his hand now rested on her shoulder, generating warmth that cut through her several layers," My father can't deal with Sebastian, due to his workaholic tendencies, Bastian will get into so many shenanigans without me...and-"

Zach sneaked a finger under her chin, and tilted her face to meet his own, " And what about ya? Do ya really think that this is the best place for ya right now? I admit, I'm not ya brother's biggest fan at the moment, and I'm pretty sure he sees me as a piece of gum that got stuck to ya shoe by accident..."

"I was completely unaware of the tense relations between the nations of Bastiny and Zachlandia," Evangeline stuck out her tongue.

"Evie," Zach rolled his eyes, " when it comes down to it, the idiot loves ya but until he can show that through his actions or grows up, he's sort of toxic..." Zach pointed to the used cigarette still in Evangeline's hand, " He's a huge trigger."

"So? I know that. I do possess some brain cells." Evangeline glared," You can't just snap your fingers and turn into an adult, " she emphasized her point snapping her own, " I can't drag Sebastian kicking and screaming into becoming the person I know that he is capable of being. It doesn't work that way, believe me, I know."

"The only way he's going to get better is if he chooses to claw himself out of the pit he dug for himself, and I wanna be there to help pull him out," and then she mumbled to herself, " And the only way that's going to happen is if Bastian finds something...someone to care about that he wants to fight for, that he wants to be his best self for."

Slowly, Zach nodded before softly sighing, " Just know, I'm here for ya."

In the last few seconds it seemed that Zach had crept closer, his warm breath caressing down her cheekbones and her neck, forcing goosebumps to erupt.

_I think that's a problem...you being there for me._

_To quote from earlier conversation with Bob, my foundations have started to turn to quicksand, and I refuse to drag someone down with me. I need to fix some things, continue to try to repair the potholes in my psyche._

_And there is the other issue, the fun fact that I haven't been in a relationship or had sex in over two years since I work up the morning after playing with my band at a minor actor's party with no memory of the night before, except for mocking laughter, and the keepsake of deep bruises on my inner thighs._

_What can I say, trust isn't something that I have in abundance. Even before the night I can't remember and can't forget, there was the guy who gave me a deviated septum or the girl who used to steal most of my rent money for a hit of smack._

_Trust is something I can't give away, even for a guy like Zach...for anyone really..._

In the distance, Evangeline could hear the crunching of the gravel that made up the driveway.

_Saved by the damned bell._

"Look at that, " she tapped her watch and got to her feet, "It's only 8:36pm and someone managed to get home. That's a positive sign."

Zach mumbled something she couldn't exactly understand, but he get up and followed her to the front of the house.

The pack of cigarettes were left behind on the seat of the swing.

Evangeline waved a fond goodbye at the strange blonde girl who picked up Sebastian earlier on a mission to "make her unicorn happy," while her brother sauntered up. It was difficult to see at a first glance, but there was something different about Sebastian. His posture still screamed cocky asshole...

...but he...

….he was actually smiling, instead of smirking...

_The fox once said to the little prince, "C'est le temps que tu as perdu pour ta rose qui fait ta rose si importante or otherwise known as," It is the time you have lost for your rose that makes your rose so important."_

_Honestly, as a kid the Little Prince, made little sense, but maybe it was because as child, I, nor Sebastian, needed to be reminded of the moral. It is the connections you make, the time you share, caring about another another, and the way you bond with others that makes life worth living_

_I guess someone had a bonding moment._

_Wait... why the hell does Sebastian have a black eye and a split lip?_

* * *

Reviews, whether constructive or positive are very much welcomed, putting together a chapter of length...takes a of effort/time. Again, thanks for everything so far.

Songs:

"Fighter Girl,"- Mason Jennings

"Infatuation with Your Gyration,"-The Magnetic Fields...since I have a slight obsession with Stephin Merritt's voice; their music might be featured...a lot.

Bonus Songs-the music I put on repeat when writing certain scenes:

"My Interpretation,"-Mika, while Kurt speaks to Rachel, and the general scene of the community center, (seriously Glee, no Mika? For shame...)

"Trouble"-Coldplay applies to Sebastian when Evangeline goes off on him (2nd time)

Quotes:

"I used to be Snow White, but I drifted," Mae West

"You are the opposite of Batman," Community-sigh, awesome show.

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself," Friedrich Nietzsche

"Politics have no relation to morals." Machiavelli

If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant." Sun Tzu,The Art of War

C'est le temps que tu as perdu pour ta rose qui fait ta rose si importante. ("It is the time you have lost for your rose that makes your rose so important.")-The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Evangeline's use of the American colored coded system of terror alerts to describe her craving levels, was inspired(I stole the idea-even though the context is different) by the movie The Savages (2007).

As always, thanks so much for the reviews, follows, views, and faves. I sort of started this on a whim and I didn't expect much. Next week, I am going on vacation with my girlfriend to New Orleans, so I send everyone virtual beignets from Cafe du Monde.:) Which reminds me, "Bourbon Street," by Jeff Tuohy I have decided is the perfect theme song for Sebastian, in this fic (at this point, anyway).

Chapter 8: The Cation and the Anion: Sebastian skypes with his father, Blaine tries to accomplish some damage control, another Kurt and Finn fight (more like a heated argument…that put some things out in the open, but not everything) Sebastian finds a way to make Kurt's life more complicated, (Kurt is far from happy with this development). Puck Pov, Sue Sylvester.

BTW, cation and anion refers to the positive and negative ions that are attracted to each other and can form a ionic bond…: )


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Due to massive amount of irony, Blaine violates a song that I adore and I know others love. I'm sorry, but it's done to showcase what a tool/unaware dick Blaine has become. Then again, I feel like every time Blaine sings in this fic, I have to apologize.

Also, in the scene with Sebastian's POV with the Glee Club...he really doesn't know anyone's names or gives a damn so he will be using nicknames and physical attributes to refer to other characters.

Though the Santana Pov comes first, Puck's Pov happens at the same moment, it is just explored secondarily (if that makes sense)

And remember last chapter, Blaine somewhat got found out by his father, so he is trying to "fix" things and sweep his problems under the rug by getting Kurt under control.

And while last chapter was attempting to build the following setup, this is the talky/confrontation result so please hold on to your seats, :)

**Warnings:** Sue Sylvester scheming, Blaine being Blaine, Sebastian being Sebastian, Puck's thoughts, Kurt takes out the trash/BAMF Kurt comes out to play, explicit language, sexual tension/sexual themes, mentions of underage drinking/alcoholism/hangovers, mention of sexual assault, Santana being Santana, slight violence, Milo brings Sebastian a 'present."

**Chapter Eight:** The Cation and the Anion

"I want to choke him, want to maltreat him,

I want to squeeze him and break his neck, neck, neck.

I said- huhuo- I got nothing but a heartache

And I just wanna let you know that I'm about to go insane

You know that I will soon take my gun.

My gun to shoot him down.  
Eye for eye and tooth for tooth, you try to melt my heart, let loose!  
Babe boy don't wait for me, my kiss will hit you dangerously!

Night for night I cried and said to myself he's there for me.

But honestly I do believe, he is nothing but a joke."

"**Shoot Him Down," -**Alice Francis

_There is only one upside to not being able to sleep: You think. A lot._

Kurt stared down at the list he created around 3: 43am

To reasons why my life has spiraled out of control:

_Blaine spreading rumors, brainwashing my friends into being his allies/replacing them with pod people._

_Finn slipping back into certain homophobic tendencies/ and not really apologizing _

_Santana coming to my house and getting drunk _

_Sebastian...Sebastian being himself _

_And I have no clue on how to solve any of them._

The only thing Kurt found himself agreeing with Sebastian about (and how is that, me agreeing with the Craiglist Douche) was that he had been too passive. In rying to endure, and get through the drama , Kurt had allowed things to escalate. Something he couldn't afford to do anymore.

The vague plans of talking to his dad and Carole about Finn, and attempt to try to ….do something for Santana before she ripped his head off, had formed in his mind.

And the rest...

_I'm going to need a lot of coffee. A lot of coffee before I can tackle them._

Grabbing the first pair of jeans and t-shirt he could find,. Kurt, wandered into the kitchen and lazily scratched his head.

He was greeted with a headache inducing shout, " Child-proof, locks...more like fucking death bolts."

Santana was standing in the middle of the kitchen slamming the edge of a aspirin bottle against a counter top.

_This is going to be interesting morning..._

Kurt walked over and extended his hand, " Give it to me, and cool your heels off , Satan."

Santana arched a eyebrow, to say," whatever," and sat down at the small kitchen table off to the side, rubbing her head and cursing underneath her breath.

It took a few tries for Kurt to manipulate the top, before it popped off,. He filled up a glass with ice cubes, and water, while he started Mr. Coffee.

He pushed the glass, along with two of the aspirin in Santana's direction, before sitting down across from her.

Santana took the pills and greedily drank up the water, " What are you staring at Lady Lips?"

"Well, last night I let certain things go..." Kurt trialed off and stroked his temple," because you were a mess, but I want know if you're okay and if there is anything that I can do to help-"

"I don't need your help," Santana snapped, threading her fingers through her hair, " I'm right as rain, so why don't you do to your little "mothering " routine somewhere else already. There are plenty of pathetic people out there who need it more then me."

"No, Satan," Kurt stated firmly, " I'm notjust going to let this go. This isn't Avon calling but intervention time, and I'm capable of being a hell-hound and dragging it out of you. So want to do this the easy or the hard way/"

Santana flailed her arms in the air, and brought them back down, to massage her head," The bare bones, Prancy, is this: my parents are indifferent, people at school are dicks, and my abuela..."

"My abuela..." Santana started again, a few tears desperately trying to escape but she quickly wiped them away, " a part of me knew she wasn't going to accept it...me.

"I remember when I was seventh grade and everyone else got the memo, to get all couply and flirty...and she started to compare me to some of my cousins, pointing out I wasn't 'boy crazy"...and well, I didn't like not measuring up so..."

"You know what happened next," Santana scowled, her eyes focused on the grain of the kitchen table.

Sighing, Kurt only said, " I can't this for you. I wish I could...but all I say is if you need me, I'll be there. I will always have your back, no matter how screwed things get."

'Whatever, you're voice is making my hangover worse, and there is no greasy food in your house," Santana paused," Hummel."

"True, but we could journey to Denny's or IHOP," Kurt pointed out.

"Go get Girl-Chang and we can hit it," Santana yawned and jerked her head in the direction of the basement door.

"Tina...she isn't exactly a morning person...more like a underfed dragon-"

"Chicken." Santana got up and stalked her way downstairs.

As Kurt washed out Santana's glass he heard a familiar voice, coming in loud and clear through the open window, singing:"

_I can't say that I'm sorry, came so ahead of myself.  
I can't say that I'm sorry, for loving you and hating myself.  
I've nothing to show you,  
I've nothing to hold you down.  
It's killing me to walk away."_

_Crunch._ The glass fell out of Kurt's hands.

Kurt galloped through the living room and opened the front door.

On the other side, Kurt saw Blaine prancing around and using his front yard as stage. Sitting by Blaine's Lexus, Finn jammed out on his portable drum kit, and backed Blaine up. Most of Kurt's neighbors were now outside, faces slack and confused at the spectacle.

Kurt's cheeks flushed a flaming red as he forced himself to watch Blaine attempt to serenade him.

_It's my turn to stand in Jeremiah's shoes. At least he isn't accusing me of cheating. Yet. Honestly, what the heck is this supposed to accomplish? I don't get it. And how did Blaine manage to get Finn out of bed before 2:00pm on a Saturday?  
_

"_How come you don't want me now?"_

Kurt narrowed his eyes and folded his arms._ Really Blaine? You don't get it? _

"_Why don't you wanna win me now?"_

_Because you cheated on me, said I was the one who cheated, turned my friends and family against me, and treated me like a second class citizen during our whole relationship. And I finally decided I had enough of your bullshit. _

_"Why don't you wanna show me off?"  
Tell me why you're gonna try, gonna try and leave me here?_

I see you by my house, walking with a different boy,  
I see you by my house, talking with a different boy.  
He's got nothing to show you, he's got nothing to hold you down.  
You're killing me. Walk away."

_I'm killing him? He's the victim here? No. No.** NO. **_

Kurt slammed his front door, and stomped forward until he stood right in front of Blaine. He skipped ahead to later verse of the song, and drowned out Blaine's singing, _" One day, soon I won't be the one who waits on you,"_ Kurt barred his teeth,_" So __**damn**__ soon, I won't be the one who waits on you."_

Blaine gave Kurt a simpering smile," You seem really upset, Kurt."

Kurt replied dryly," I seem upset," he worried his lower lip, and repeated," I seem upset."

"There is no need to be dramatic. Now that I had a chance to express my feelings, we can talk things out like rational adults and fix out relationship," Blaine said smugly.

"You mean," Kurt paused, trying to suppress his desire to give into his animal instincts and strangle Blaine for looking down at him like a five year old who drew on the wall with crayons," after you guilt me into coming back to you, because I treated you so horribly? _Please,_ maybe those sort of tactics would have worked on me in the past, but I'm immune to your bullshit now, so escort yourself off my front yard."

"Now, now, " Blaine reached out and attempted to touch Kurt's arm, the one he grabbed before. Kurt darted away to the left, creating a larger space between him and Blaine, " there is no reason to cause a scene or be so over-dramatic, Kurt. You really need to work on that-"

"It's not overdramatic to have feelings, my own feelings that have nothing to do with you!" Kurt yelled.

"Kurt-"

Kurt felt the eyes of Finn and his neighbors on his face or back. If he kept on going with a full on tirade, it would be a scene, but Blaine made a scene almost everywhere he went and had no qualms of humiliating him. So why not give his ex-boyfriend a taste of his own medicine and see if he could take it? Why not get everything out in the open?

"And for the final time, I want nothing to do with you. We are done," Kurt spat out with venom, " No amount of love songs or songs about how miserable you are, are going to get us back together because I can't forgive you for what you have done, and made me feel about myself-"

"Kurt-"

Kurt ignored Blaine, and raised his voice instead, "You cheated on me-"

"Kurt!"

"You pinned the blame on me," Kurt shook his head, and snapped," and insinuated Smythe gave me a STD. How classy of you."

"Kurt, please calm down-"

"Sorry. Not going to happen. I refuse to silence my voice for you or anyone else," Kurt crossed his arms, and stated firmly," Our whole relationship was a joke. You got your claws in me and refused to let me go or shine. You never made me feel like I mattered, which is not alright or okay."

"You're not grand prize, you know," Blaine sneered," I'm the only one who can tolerable you and your..." Blaine flopped his hand," overly flamboyant ways and awkwardness. Who else will have you?"

"I don't know," Kurt whispered, and glanced over at Blaine, " I don't know if anyone will love me or want me, but I know you never loved me, and I rather be alone then be with you."

"Now, leave before I call the police," Kurt hissed lowly," which is what I should have done, when you sexually assaulted me at Scandals.

Blaine stared at Kurt blankly. He snatched up one of Kurt's hands, twisting, and pulling on Kurt's index and ring fingers," Take that back right now; I was DRUNK. I did nothing wrong." Blaine increased the pressure, making Kurt yelp in pain,"_ Nothing wrong_."

"I don't take back the truth," Kurt gritted out, and brought down the elbow of his free arm, down on Blaine's arm, making him let go and stumble back. Kurt pulled his cellphone from his back pocket and started to dial 911, because Blaine hurt him again and...he wasn't going get away with it.

But his hand still faltered on pressing "dial."

"Hey," Finn stood up," What's going on? Why are you fighting? Kurt, are you-"

"Shut up, fetus face," Santana sauntered out of the Hudmel household,"Sit your dumpy ass down and let me handle what is clearly above your pay grade." Finn scoffed and remained standing.

She fished a butterfly knife out of her purse, and fanned it in Blaine's direction, letting the blades flicker in the light," I was thinking, Blainy, your car really needs a extreme makeover and I have the perfect tool for the job." She strolled over to Blaine's car, and dragged her fingers along the side, " Or if Hummel goes through with calling the PoPo, I can make sure you can't run away like the coward you are," she tapped the knife against the front tire.

"So what will it be? Leave now and stay away from Hummel. Forever. Or have a nice little chat with Officer Not So Friendly, and your car, along with whatever microorganism that lives in your pants becomes BFF with my best bud," Santana threatened, casually tossing the knife between her hands.

Blaine dashed into his car, and pulled out without even looking back.

"Thought so," Santana said softly. She walked over to Kurt's side, while Finn remained dumbfounded and ranting, and slung her arm around Kurt's shoulder.

"I was handling him. I didn't need-"

"You were," Santana said, without a trace of sarcasm," but he was freaking Gothica and I the fuck out."

"And anyway," she added," that's what friends do."

In the kitchen, Tina rubbed the sleep from her eyes when Kurt and Santana came in. She embraced Kurt for a moment, before letting go and giving him a shy smile. The coffee had finally finished brewing, and Santana poured everyone a cup, after she put her purse down.

Seeing that the bag was unguarded, Kurt grabbed it.

'Hey, hey," Tina swatted at Kurt's arm," that's no-man zone. Hands off."

"Just checking for any weapons of mass destruction, " Kurt replied when he dumped the bag over. It wasn't shocking to see another butterfly knife tumble out, followed by: pepper spray, a slim jim made from a wire clothes hanger, toy mice, sharped nail file, cosmetics, a roll of duct tape, wallet, real handcuffs-_I don't even want to know_-Swiss army knife, flashlight, hand mirror, cell phone, brass rings, gum, a flask, Chinese finger-trap, and a lacy, black bra.

Tina picked up the bra and put it against her chest," I think I have this in violet-"Santana glared at her and snatched it back.

"Clearly Satan has the serial killer version of Mary Poppins's bag," Kurt smirked, as he pinched the knifes from the pile."

"Whatever, " Santana said in a bored tone," I want real bacon so make yourself presentable so we can go," she made "go away" gesture at Kurt and took a sip of her black coffee.

When Kurt left, Tina used a eyeliner pencil to pick up the handcuffs, "So...umm, Mike said he would like to tied up during sex...do you think I can borrow these some time?"

Santana flashed a enigmatic grin," I knew there was a reason to tolerate you."

After putting on a casual but still fashionable outfit, Kurt stared down at his phone.

He had hesitated.

Flexing his fingers, Kurt doubted the police could have done, under the circumstances and Santana's threat might keep Blaine at bay, but not forever.

The raw anger in Blaine's eyes at not getting his way, made it clear to Kurt, Blaine was far from done.

He had to strike back.

The idea that pooped into his brain felt like something Sebastian Smythe would do. It was petty, dirty, underhanded, and against Kurt's moral compass, but completely necessary.

He went on Facebook, uploaded the picture Smythe sent him that caused this whole mess, and tagged it with, "My cheating ex-boyfriend," and "CW haired Meerkat." It was wrong, but maybe when Blaine was finally done, Kurt could take it down.

But right now, Kurt was tired of just reacting to Blaine's attacks.

* * *

"Don't even think about it, Sebastian," Evangeline smacked his wrist with her pencil, " Those are my spring rolls."

Pulling his arm back, and soothing the back of his wrist with the pad of this thumb, Sebastian feigned a hurt expression, " Someone would say that this is child abuse, since I'm not yet eighteen and you're denying me the only edible food in the house."

She only pulled the plate (fulled to brim with spring rolls and wantons) closer, putting up her textbooks as a shield against Sebastian's thieving fingers. Her gaze remained rooted to the textbook that was open on the granite counter-top of the kitchen island, while she twirled a pencil between her fingers.

Evangeline's laptop was also out and playing some female artist singing,"_Oh I'm a guilty one. And they know what I have done. Oh I'm a troubled one. And I won't be forgiven. Guilty on the run and I know what I have done. Guilty on the run, and I'm never forgiven." _

Sebastian considered picking up her papers, along with her binder, and tossing them in the air, to see what would happen (and see if in the confusion he could steal her food ) but Evangeline was on edge,

since the whole "coming home last night with the black eye and split lip thing". Sebastian didn't understand why it was such a big deal. He came come before curfew. Shouldn't he get rewarded, for being good instead of being scowled?

_It wasn't even my fault. It's the fault of the stupid unfriendly giant, who was being a fucking asshat, by listening to whatever flew out of short stack's mouth. _

_I was actually trying to do the right thing for once, and Kurstie still got all pissy with me (which wasn't a reaction I expected at all) and Evangeline won't even give me food or unground me, even after explaining what happened. _

Not even bothering to look up from her reading, as she switched from a pencil to highlighter, "There is a perfectly serviceable meatloaf that I made yesterday..."

Arching an eyebrow, Sebastian pointed out, "I"m not sure what the hell that is, but it's definitely not meatloaf or fit for human digestion."

"Well, suck up. Or order pizza, I'm trying to focus on my crap for once. Alright?"

"Pizza is going to take too long," _and I'm fucking hungry now,_ he whined. Still, Sebastian ambled to the refrigerator and greeted with the normal state of affairs. Several containers filled will old take out food that needed to be thrown out filled most of the shelves. The only other items were a carton of orange juice, a bottle of mustard, a slab of cheese that Sebastian wasn't even brave enough to risk, and the meatloaf. In the freezer, there was pint of Ben & Jerry's: Everything but the Kitchen Sink...but he knew Evangeline would slit his throat if he touched it.

They had money, plenty of money...but grocery shopping never seemed to happen, combined with their low cooking abilities, (Sebastian admitted he was probably worse then his sister. Evangeline never blew up a microwave before).

And this was why their father should never have fired their cook, in order to economize or whatever silly excuse he made up to justify it, because that old broad was fucking amazing...and Sebastian never starved under her watch.

Inspecting to make sure the orange juice hadn't expired, seeing it was fine, Sebastian opened it, and started to chug it down.

Evangeline looked up, her eyes slightly bugged out, emphasizing each word forcefully, she ordered," Go. Get. A. Freaking. Glass. Now.'

Sebastian wiped his lips, and simply put the carton back, "No need. I'm done."

Evangeline's jaw was clenched, and her visage was a mixture of shock and maybe frozen rage," How long has that been going on?"

"Since like..."Sebastian tossed his head to the side, "forever..."

"That's just...disgusting. I mean...I live here and eat here. I have friends who eat here..." Evangeline aggressively tapped her highlighter against the island, each time more louder then the next, " This is...this is why I wanted a little sister...because she would know better not to do something gross like that..."

Sebastian shrugged,' I'm pretty sure if you had a sister she would stop you from dressing up like Pippi Longstocking, " he gestured to her barf colored, baggy sweater, cropped sweatpants and knee length rainbow colored toe socks, and messy french braid, " because I don't give a shit about that sort of stuff."

"If I had a sister," Evangeline slid off her stool, leaning on the island, closing in on Sebastian in a way that was meant to be intimating, but it only came off as funny in Sebastian's perspective since his sister was so short. It was like a chinchilla trying to scare off a Great Dane. Sebastian started to chuckle, and Evangeline flung her highlighter, striking him across the nose.

"Seems like you are on a violence streak. You know if Gandhi was here he would so unimpressed with your conflict resolution skills," Sebastian tsked, as he slumped against the refrigerator door, his arms crossed, and nasally hiss to his tone.

"Or just a different sibling in general," she continued to rant, completely ignoring Sebastian's comment, her voice progressing to higher notes of speech, and commanding Sebastian's attention, "Maybe I wouldn't be stressed, freaking out, and worried all the time about what short of hi-jink you're getting into..." Evangeline exhaled deeply, as if she was releasing a heavy burden, " or if you safe or okay..."

Directly staring down into her eyes, Sebastian reassured her in a softer voice, a voice he hadn't used in a very long time, as he rested a hand on her shoulder, " I'm a Smythe. I can take of myself."

"Do you have any clue how full of shit you are?" she brushed away Sebastian's hand, and removed herself from his reach. "You might always been a cocky kid, but you used to give a damn about other people, and didn't put on this arrogant mask. You used to be my little brother. But aren't that any more...I don't know who you are...but I know I don't like what you become."

Sebastian gawked at her, his eyes narrowed, as he yelled "That's bullshit. How do you anything about me, you were too busy partying it up after..."Sebastian couldn't help but stammer a little bit at the next word, " Maman died. You took care of me and then poof...you went off and left me alone."

"And then you were too busy in rehab to talk to me. You didn't let me in . You wouldn't let me help you!" He roared back, his face twisted into a dark scowl

Evangeline spun around and stabbed Sebastian in the chest, her short blunt nails making a impression in the soft cotton of his grey t-shirt," See? Right there. The Bastian I love, wouldn't have said such crap to me. I know that I fucked up, okay? I do know that. And you will never no how sorry I'm, " she sighed, fingering a few loose strands of hair, " Maybe, just maybe I wanted to to protect you from seeing me like that and being exposed to how screwed up the world is. Maybe I wanted you to be innocent for a little bit longer."

She laughed bitterly, "Cat's out of the bag. I mean, look at how jaded you've become in the last few years. Don't you understand how cruel you can be?"

Underneath her piercing stare, Sebastian was mute. He jammed his hands in the pockets of his jeans not bothering to look at Evangeline.

"And all these self-destructive behaviors: the sex, the drinking, the need to push others around in order for you to be on top...I knew they cover up some messed emotions they you refuse to deal with, but underneath, I think you are really lonely."

' I'm not lonely, I'm not a loser,' Sebastian scoffed, but he was completely absorbed with the pattern in the wooden floor.

"I wasn't exactly a saint either when I was teenager. But I'm saying this now, if things on your end don't change..." She sighed, "I have a limit. A limit, Sebastian."

"I refuse to relapse, and if it means removing myself from a environment that is toxic, even it means I can't help you, then I'll do it," Evangeline stated bluntly.

_Toxic? I'm toxic...that's not true. That can't be true..._

_I do stupid...things...sometimes, but it isn't that bad. _

Evangeline gathered up her books, plate of food, papers, a binder, and balanced her laptop on top of it like a leaning tower of Pisa. She jerked her head into the direction of the small study that had been set up in the alcove jutting away from the open floor plan that included the living room and the kitchen," Papa has been waiting for you to Skype him all day, Maybe you can better explain yourself to him."

Sebastian just stood there. Evangeline slapped his back, "Hop to it."

_I doubt that Father wants to talk to me. I'm more like a chore that he needs to check off his To-do-list._

Due to Evangeline's sad, wary eyes, and the idea that he could drive his own sister away by just being himself (which was stupid...there were a lot of ways that he was good brother...he just couldn't come up with them at the drop of the hat) Sebastian still sat down in front of the computer and did what Evangeline told him to do.

What do you know, his father was already there watching for him...

_What the hell did Evangeline say to capture his attention like this?_

Sebastian knew in the scheme of the world, he didn't exactly have a bad father. He wasn't abusive, homophobic, a drunk, or a lazy unemployed failure. Sometimes, Salem Smythe was capable of caring, but those times were rare and far between. His work was the priority. Always.

Even when his mother was still breathing, Sebastian had been aware of his father's workaholic tendencies. The man couldn't focus on anything family related for more than fifteen minutes.

First, it was his position in the family law firm Smythe, Battle, and Nixon, and then it evolved to his dedication and commitment to being the state attorney.

There were benefits to this lack of fatherly guidance: 1) Sebastian could usually get away with anything he wanted 2) His father''s position provided him with certain cache, and status.

When they were forced to interact it was just a chance for his father to lecture at him about certain things that he did months prior. Sebastian usually could tune him out, before some work emergency pulled his father, Salem Smythe, away.

Currently, Salem had bothered to flicker his gaze upwards from the legal documents scattered across the surface of his desk, to look over Sebastian's face, with the same unmistakable shade of green eyes, through the pair of wire rimmed glasses that were always sliding down his nose. His office's lighting gave his skin a sallow hue, combined with purplish, crescent shaped bags under his eyes, laugh lines starting to transform into deep groves, and greyish streaks in his dark chestnut colored hair that had multiplied since the last time Sebastian had seen his father, only added up to one thing.

_Damn, Father looks old...and fragile, like his massive coffee consumption and pure will are the only things holding him up._

_Which is probably true._

_And somewhat worrisome._

A deep crease formed between his eyebrows at those thoughts, and Sebastian fidgeted in his chair, finally settling back in the chair, with his feet proposed on the desk.

"Sebastian," Salem began in a tight voice, as he signed a few documents," How are things?"

"Peachy, pops" Sebastian smirked," I finished all my college applications. So far I have lead the Lacrosse team to a undefeated season, I'll be on the President's List by the end of the semester..." he continued to rattled off with his his hands behind his head, his accomplishments, ":and Warblers are going to win, sectionals under my guidance."

Salem perked up, " That is...great, Seb. I'm really proud of you..." he pushed up his glasses, " But you that's not what I referring to. And you know that..."

"I'm sorry," Sebastian said in a tone that implied that he wasn't at all "sorry." he couldn't help to cock his head arrogantly, " You have to be specific when it comes to me. I'm good at finding loopholes."

Salem took off his eyeglasses, neatly folding them near his blackberry, He scrubbed at his face, rubbing at his eyes for a few seconds, before sighing, and going to into rapid fire interrogation mode, " Why aren't you listening to you sister? Why do you think it's acceptable to go gallivanting about drinking in the first place? And why does it look like your face been someone's personal punching bag?"

"Not listening to Evangeline was a..." Sebastian swallowed slightly, "was a mistake." That was the truth. He was going to attempt to follow her insipid rules to appease his sister and make sure that...she didn't leave him behind. Again.

_It shouldn't take too long to reverse being grounded, right? _

"The rest, well, isn't any of your business."

The lines on his father's face sharped, his lips formed a thin, white line, and Salem gritted out between his teeth, "It is my business when my son is doing something that his illegal and endears himself, along with his sister's sobriety. Do you that Eva had to call her sponsor? Did you know that she called me up in tears and sounded like a complete wreck?"

"Yes, I'm a "aware," since I actually live here...which is more than I can say about you."

Salem visibly flinched as he said calmly, though he was unable to erase the edge of disappointment tinged with outrage in his voice,"Don't take that tone with me...and if it wasn't for this case, plus the situation with your Uncle Derek, I would be home."

Sebastian's eyes lit up at the mention of his uncle's name. He was the man after all who gave him a fake ID at fourteen, pointed him in the direction of of his first gay bar, and taught him about alcohol. Uncle Derek, in many ways, was his idol, " So it is true that Uncle Derek is engaged to the 21 year old waitress the he cheated on with his fourth wife? I don't think Evangeline is going to be down with a bridesmaid, since the last time she was forced to dress up like a fucked up a fried egg."

"Language, Sebastian," Salem lectured tersely. He moved off screen and Sebastian heard him say, "Thank you, Naomi,"before returning with a venti sized coffee cup from Starbucks. Salem took a few quick sips, as he cradled it his hands, 'Back to the main topic at hand, will you tell what's going on with you?"

"There is nothing really to tell," Sebastian defensively crossed his arms," I went out to a bar to forget about someone, and the fight...was the right action to take under the circumstances," he admitted, " And you should really the other guy. I demolished his nose."

Drinking more from his coffee, Salem put it down,his eyes glistening with mirth, and asked point blank," Who's the new guy?"

'What?" Sebastian sputtered, that was not question he expected to hear.

"Seb, when you crush on a boy, there is always a heap load of trouble," Salem deadpanned, "Do you finally have a boyfriend? Will I met him when I come be home?"

'What?" Sebastian couldn't help but to repeat, out of complete dismay and shock. The image that floated in his head of showing Kurt off to his family, as his boyfriend...

_...like I would ever want that. Hell would have to fucking freeze over, and pigs would grow wings, before I would even consider it. And Kewpie...he would be my last choice, be though I can imagine Evangeline and Father fawning over him and proclaim him a good influence on me, _

Shaking his head, Sebastian smirked, "That's a big fat negative, there pops. Monogamy isn't my style, and you know that..."

Setting his coffee cup down, Salem pinched the bridge of his nose, " And that's fine with me, Seb," He said slowly, " But it's your other actions that leave me concerned, and if there isn't significant improvement in your attitude and you continue to step out of line, then I'm going to follow the advice of my colleague, Luther, and send you to a military academy for the rest of the year."

"He said it did wonders for his son, Hunter," Salem put on his glasses, "Now, I'll be back on November 2nd, and your sister will keep me updated. Please have a fun and productive weekend, Seb." and before Sebastian could fire off a complaint, his father was offline.

_Fuck no...I'm not going along with that idea..._

_Military guys are hot, but I don't take orders, and I have everything that I could want here. If I have to play good so I can stay...fine. I can manage that. It can't be that hard, and there is the bonus of Evangeline not being upset with me, and falling off the wagon_

_It's a win-win situation. I doubt I will have to do it for long._

Removing his feet from the desk, Sebastian let his fingers take him to Facebook. Trent had made a series of updates connected to drinking copious amount of Mountain Dew, while Nick and Jeff, as always, were sending lovely dovey messages to each other on their walls.

What captured Sebastian's interest were several comments on a photo Kurt Hummel had recently posted and tagged. The photo was of Sebastian( he had been labeled CW haired meerkat) and Blaine ( was rightfully tagged: my cheating ex-boyfriend) together in bed had attracted a ton of attention. The few comments written by the Warblers were supportive but the ones from Kurt's classmates claimed it was a fake, photo shopped picture, and added statements like"How could you slander Blaine's reputation by being so petty? He deserves better than you."

_Seriously how many people were dropped on their heads as babies? Or when they were giving out brains, they heard 'trains" and ran in the opposite direction?_

It was still a irritating thorn in his side that Kurt stubbornly refused to be his "friend" but there ways to still communicate. Sebastian sent a short private message: Looks like the Princess is ready to get his hands dirty. Call me, Kurtsie. ;) I already have tons of ideas.

Sebastian didn't exactly have any real schemes on hand. There was a fragile idea, like soap bubble , not fully formed and ready to pop at a minutes notice. He had lied on Saturday night, but he knew if Kurt had given him an inch, together they could have once up with something...wicked.

The response was almost automatic but Sebastian's face fell when he read the simple, blunt message:

NO.

It didn't exactly deter Sebastian who replied with, "Why not? Don't you trust me, Kewpie?

"I'm not a drunken fool like Fortunato; you can't trick me to following you around so you can seal me in a wall. And if you don't get my reference, basically I won't trust you with a pet rock," was Kurt's next message.

"You can't maim/kill a pet rock."

A few minutes passed, and Sebastian entertained himself on FML until he was alerted with another response: "You would find a way. BTW, come near my house again, and the booby traps you will encounter will make the traps in _Home Alone_ look like child's play. Now, have a nice life, far away from me.

_I didn't exactly expect that..._

Before he could ponder more about the subject, Milo jumped on the desk. Completely normal behavior, but when Sebastian moved to scratch his cat behind his ears, he observed Milo's cheeks were extremely puffy, and something was...moving in his mouth, and valiantly attempting to escape.

"Milo..." Sebastian whispered, his eyes wide, " what do you got there?"

Milo headbutted the screen again and spat out a rodent like creature onto the keyboard. Milo chirped loudly, pleased with himself. Sebastian stared at the rodent's twitchy nose, beady eyes, and fur slick with cat saliva.

_Fuck, its so damn creepy._

Sebastian believed meerkats were cute, and rabbits were tolerable, but anything else in the rodent family unnerved him and needed to die. The rodent fluffed himself up and crept over to the edge of the keyboard, one of his paws touching Sebastian's hands...

Jerking back, harshly, Sebastian fell out of his chair, and crab-walked away from the desk. At the outburst of nose, the swing of a braid came into focus, and followed by familiar face...

'What's going on...oh my god," Evangeline squealed in delight, " What a cute little chipmunk!" She crept closer with her hand out, " Come here, honey." she crooned.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. Before Milo, Evangeline owned a black dwarf bunny, she named Kubla Khan. However, when Maman gave Milo to Sebastian as a Christmas present, Evangeline kept going on about how Milo kept "scaring" her poor, defenseless baby (which was such a lie: Sebastian had scars from when the monster bit him). And really, Milo was just playing; nothing wrong with chasing and giving the damn thing little nips. But of course, Evangeline threw a fit, and give Kubla Khan to another family where he could be _safe_. Over-dramatic much.

However, ugly little rodents remained to be her favorite animals.

The chipmunk changed direction and headed to her more comforting voice.

"Don't touch that thing...,.,you don't know where it's been! It could have rabies, I mean it's not like this is the world of fucking Beatrix Potter!"

"I care take of one little chipmunk," Evangeline pursed her lips and gently picked it up, and padded away. Milo leaped to the ground, nudged Sebastian's legs with his nose, in a way that demanded, "I was good. Let's play."

Sebastian stared at Milo," You're totally not getting salmon for dinner." _Not like we have that around anyway._

Milo purposely turned around and smacked Sebastian across the face with his tail before running off.

* * *

Kurt dissected Carole's homemade, low cal, twice baked potatoes, the tines of his fork scraping against the sky-blue ceramic plate. Burt and Carole had returned home for Sunday dinner, and now chatting with Finn about football, while Finn stuffed his face with rolls topped with loads of butter.

Kurt wondered if he would attract too much attention, by getting up and leaving. Sitting next to Finn, was currently destroying his appetite for other reasons, beside his terrible table manners.

Kurt played with his food, cutting up the asparagus, and moving chunks of the salmon patty from side to side.

"Hey," Finn spat out between loud chews, "pass me the pasta salad, dude."

_Dude._

_So is he pretending that he didn't sell me out to Blaine,and has generally taken his side from the start? Or has being exposed to food short-wired his brain? Or does Finn is playing nice for the benefit of our parents?_

_Whatever his reasoning is, I'm not interested in going along with it. In the past, Finn declared he would always have my back, but he hasn't and I'm so tired of the one way street between us. _

"No," Kurt hissed," You're able bodied. Get it yourself."

"A-hole," Finn swallowed the last chunk of his current roll.

" The definition better applies to you, actually," Kurt snipped back, piercing his asparagus with his fork.

"Hey," Burt wiped his mouth his with napkin,"what's going on here?"

"Nothing," Finn grumbled as he reached out for another roll, and Carole smacked his hand.

"It doesn't look like nothing," Carole added, taking a sip of her water," the last two days, the two of you have been silently fighting like cats and dogs."

"I thought we went through this. We have a open door policy for a reason. As a family we are supposed to talk to one another," Burt lectured, his green eyes darting back and forth between Kurt and Finn.

"Kurt just being pissy because I said something stupid. I admit what I did was a bad move, but it's not a big deal..." Finn trailed off, his expression bearing telltale marks of guilt, under closer inspection.

_Oh, the hell no. Is he going to just sweep what he did under the rug? I was going to wait to talk to our parents alone, but I can't let him just lie...  
_

"Finn's not exactly telling the whole truth," Kurt snapped, tossing his fork and knife on his plate," He outed our friend as a lesbian, called her a term I'm not going to repeat, insulted her girlfriend, and has taken Blaine's side in our break-up-"

Finn bolted out of his chair, kicking it backwards and yelling," I said that I was sorry-"

"Sorry doesn't fix squat," Kurt's expression turned stony," Saying 'sorry' hasn't helped our relationship much."

"Maybe if you weren't a spoiled brat who gets everything he wants all the time, we could be brothers," Finn roughly ran his hands through his hair, "You knew what you want to with your life. You have someone that wants you, and serenades you. Newsflash. I'm going to be stuck here forever and Rachel only wanted to sleep with me so she could be a better Maria-"

The corners of Burt''s eyelids twitched. His expression rapidly shifted between disbelief, shock, and utter bafflement, unable to commit for more then a few seconds, a state Carole's face mirrored.

"Can you repeat that?" Carole asked shakily , her voice eerily shrill, and not even aware of her asparagus loaded fork chiming against her plate, and falling to the floor.

"Yeah," Finn said, completely unaware of the pregnant tension following his outburst, "Rachel only wanted us to have sex because Artie thought it would help the leads be more passionate, ummmm, more sensual in their performance-"

_Leads, not just one, leads._

Kurt froze.

"That's it! Both of you aren't dating anyone until you're forty," Burt grunted, pushing himself from the table, and throwing his napkin down, " Rachel is a nice gal, but its not okay Finn for her to think about using you in that way. I don't believe you should see each other any more."

"You can't do that!" Finn slammed his fist against the table, " I love Rachel. She is the most important person in my life. I need her."

"And that's a problem, Finn to be so dependent on someone else," Carole attempted to say gently.

"But Mom-"

"Don't "but Mom," me, Finn," Carole shouted," As it is difficult enough for me to look at you right now. I'm beyond disgusted with your behavior, and you need to go to your room."

"But-'

"Go. To. Your. Room," Carole empathized each word slowly," while Burt and I discuss what needs to be done in your case."

"Fine," Finn said sarcastically, his nostrils flared and his face beet red, before stomping off to his bedroom.

Kurt blocked out his father's and Carole's impassioned statements about Finn "hadn't learned anything" and continued to be "emotionally immature. He only heard the rush of blood to his ear, effectively cutting himself out from the scene in front of him. Kurt rose from his seat, stepped over the fallen chair, his heart rate increasing with each step until he reached the sanctuary of his bedroom.

Collapsing on the small stool before his vanity, Kurt shuddered. His chest rose and fell, and with each cycle becoming more violent, feeling like with each hyperventilation he was breaking his own ribs. Tears leaked down Kurt's cheeks, burning his skin at their touch.

He wanted to bite them back, and pretend this didn't bother him.

Kurt just didn't have the strength to play the stoic right now. Maybe later.

Finn believed Rachel was the "only" lead capable of resorting to something so self-absorbed as wanting to have sex only to be a better "actor." It only showed how insidiously Blaine managed to warp his thoughts.

Kurt easily connected the dots from Finn's little slip: Blaine wanted to elevate his performance, he agreed with Artie''s idea, maybe Blaine didn't want to have sex that night at Scandals (perhaps it was subconscious desire combined with alcohol that produced the incident in the car), but Blaine planned from the outset to have sex, not because of love, passion, or hormones, but only so he could be a Tony.

Rachel copped to it before more damage could done. Kurt didn't see that playing out with him and Blaine; he would have given it up and Blaine would have left him clueless in the dark.

_I still slept with him. After. _

_I bet that pissed him off..._

It was a weak consolation. It did nothing to ease another round of violation at Blaine's hands.

Blaine's hands, another wave of disgust hit square in the stomach, touching him when he begged him to stop. Someone he loved and trusted above anything twisting a knife in his gut, only complaining about the mess the blood would leave instead of helping, and apologizing for...assaulting him.

And going beyond what Karofsky did and worse.

He barely said he was sorry, and only after I said, 'I'm sorry for not being your gay bar superstar."

Before that Blaine compared his "mistake" to being on the same level as messing up a dance move.

_Why, just why did I hold on to him? Why did I allow him to treat me that way? Why did I dismiss what he did to me in the car? _

Slumping over, eyes shut, his muscles tensed to a point beyond rigid, Kurt only felt freezing fingers roughly tugging at his shirt as an attempt to free it from his pants. Trying to slip between his skinny jeans and his skin, when it doesn't work they journeyed further south, palming at his dick, despite panicked cries of "No."

In reality, the incident only lasted for a few minutes. The seconds up to finally escaping Blaine's roaming hands, continued to play in a never-ending loop in Kurt's head, separating Kurt from the reality of his bedroom far way from Blaine. Those thoughts didn't bring much comfort, the episode had run its course.

It wasn't the first time Kurt had relived the "car incident." However, it was usually in his nightmares.

Jerking his head up, Kurt gazed into the vanity mirror, and the evidence of his ugly crying, skin white as birch bark, clear snot running from his nose, stared him in the face. He immediately grabbed a few tissues and harshly removed mess from his face, only aggravating his splotchy cheeks by making them raw and sting.

_Gross. That's what I'm. No one wants me, so I'm forced to make a fool of myself and chase after guys. My boyfriend, in the months up to West Side Story showed no interest in me. Told me he preferred to masturbate instead of fooling around, had scheduled make out sessions...and visibly lusted_

_after Sebastian. He only wanted to sleep with me in order to be a better actor and when he was drunk._

_What does that say about me?_

Glancing back over his reflection, Kurt picked out the offensive details of his face: the too bulbous nose, the abnormal ears, the too small teeth, the frog like lips...

He pictured Sebastian standing behind him, his arms folded, a smirk on his face, and mocking with the line,"hard-luck case of the gay-face."

_Gay-face._

_Gay-face._

_Gay-face._

_I guess that's what's wrong with me. I'm a awkward freak. _

Kurt decked himself out with perfect style, fixed his hair, and protected his skin, but nothing could change his face, or the fact that no one wanted him.

Kurt determined Blaine was nothing for him, he would still try to fight to accomplish this dreams, but the sensation of ice melting on his spine, spreading tendrils of frost through his body and turning his limbs numb didn't go away. His hand curled around a paperweight, one that once belonged to his mother, and contained a small Eiffel Tower figurine on the inside. Kurt picked it up, and stared at at his refection.

He wanted to smash it, and pretend the weak, pathetic, fluffy romantic never existed, so his dreams of being loved for himself could die...

Eyeballing the scruffy boy in front of him, with eyes still glistening with tears, quivering lips, Kurt plopped the paper-weight down, with a soft thud,

He couldn't do it.

"Kurt," Burt called out, plodding down the stairs," Kiddo?"

Kurt turned around, and at the sight of his face, Burt rushed over," You look like death warmed over,

buddy, "

'It's nothing," Kurt focused on his closet, instead of Burt's worry lined visage," Something Finn said bothered me. That's all."

"A lot of what that boy said bothered me, " Burt parroted darkly," but that's not what's up with you, bud."Burt settled himself down on the edge of Kurt's bed, patting the space next to him, before leaning over, so his hands knitted together in the top of his knees.

Kurt sat himself down, chewing on his bottom lip.

"You're seen my latest test results. I'm healthy so there is no excuse to protect me from stuff. I'm you're dad. I'm here for you."

"I realized," Kurt trailed off and sighed heavily,"that I gave a part of my self to Blaine, a part that I never going to get back, and he took it for granted. He didn't appreciate it or me."

"This is a sex thing, isn't it?" Burt scratched behind his ear, trying not to look at Kurt directly.

Kurt blushed hotly," Kinda...yes."

"You thought that Anderson," a hint of low, growl escaped from the back of Burt's throat, "cared and loved you. I can't fault you for believing in him and wanting to show him that in a physical way. You did nothing wrong," Burt said slowly," Nothing."

"I don't think I did anything..._wrong_. Rachel just wasn't the only one who wanted to have sex to be a "better actor," but at least she told Finn before anything happened. The relationship between Blaine and I was already unbalanced...but this," Kurt sharply inhaled, "taints my first time which was meant to be special. What I wanted to be more then anything ."

Burt wrapped his arm around Kurt, rubbing his back reassuringly," Everyone had a target on their back-"

"Wait, what?'' Kurt whipped his head around to look at Burt.

"Maybe target isn't the best word. More like a list or a sticker...," Kurt stared at him, his eyes wide," Alright, I'm not great at analogies, but the point is you can't see your best qualities, and your potential but other people can. Anderson was blind to them or didn't care, but someday one guy will really see you for the amazing person you are. Your mom managed to see something good in me."

"First you have to discover yourself, and know how much your worth which is a lot," Burt clapped Kurt on the back, "Alright, bud?"

Kurt weakly nodded and forced himself to smile back. His father's words were true; Kurt could feel that, but he wasn't sure if he could do it. He could only try.

After Burt left, Kurt went thorough his normal skin care routine, but was unable to look at himself in the mirror.

* * *

"Come on in!" Sue announced breezily," sit down and take a load off."

As if Kurt really had a choice. In the middle of his new art class, that he was just starting to become acclimated to with the help of Mike, Becky had burst in declaring, "Coach needs to talk to you like now. Stop sitting there making arts & crafts and get up."

No one, who wants to have a peaceful, calm existence, defies a command from the mouth of Sue Sylvester, or Becky. Mr. Martinez didn't even bother to put up a fight, and let Kurt go with a reminder he would have to find a way to make up the time he missed in order to complete his project on time (a project Kurt just started due to his schedule change).

Despite his own personal objections to being forced into direct contact with the Dragon Lady, especially since she have been 'defeated in battle" by his father in the election so recently-a very reasonable argument for avoiding her-Kurt had followed Becky's directive.

The mental images floating in his head of what would happen if he ignored her request were full of viscera, destruction, and fire. Not what Kurt was prepared for, especially on a Monday.

Becky physically pushed Kurt into Coach Sylvester's office, when he attempted to stall. Kurt could still see her in the corner of his vision, milling about and acting like a security guard.

" I don't bite." Coach Sylvester commented, her mouth wide and revealing her teeth.

Kurt arched an eyebrow, muttering," Said the Spider to the fly."

"Arachnids have the right to employ whatever methods they see as fit in order to provide for themselves and their brood. Whether it is through trickery, pure malice of forethought, or decapitation of their mate. There is no need to discriminate against one of Mother Nature's most adaptable and cunning predators, Porcelain," Sue added as a afterthought," You are well aware that biting is the least of what I could do to you or any other of my enemies, so sit down."

Hearing the hint of a angry edge to her normal state of passionate ranting, Kurt allowed his survival instincts to take over and sat down in the nearest chair. Still, he didn't dare show a sliver of fear. He couldn't afford to. Boldly. Kurt stared at Sue straight in the eye. His hands were otherwise occupied with fiddling with the strap of his messenger bag sitting in his lap. An enormous tell of his nervous emotional state along with the biting of his lip, his dad told him, when he taught Kurt poker, but Sue wasn't paying attention.

She broke her yards long stare with Kurt, to take out her personal laptop from her desk drawer,"To be blunt," _when are you ever not_, " this has nothing to do with a possible vendetta against your baboon hearted father, for the injustice that occurred against me Friday night. That will be dealt with at a later date. I want talk about this..."

Sue flipped her laptop so Kurt could see the screen, and a video played, featuring the younger version of himself performing a complicated dance routine, while singing Dion in French, center stage at the Cheerleading Nationals.

Nostrils flaring, Sue sharply commented, " To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity," her voice roughened, " the Porcelain I knew two years ago, was a pit bull who would have gone after anyone who dared to take away his spotlight because performing was his purpose in life."

Banging her open hand against her desk, Kurt jumped back, Sue continued to rant," You then quit the team, and lost yourself in the detour off exit 176, due to the sham of a relationship. Recently, I admit that I'm starting to see glimpses of the old Porcelain, but I want to understand why you left my team and become so commonly stupid?"

Kurt found his throat was dry. Biting his inner cheek, Kurt avoided spitting out one part of the equation,_ sometimes I feel like your a menace to yourself and others_," There was the growth spurt from hell." Sue snickered, "But Mr. Schuester kept insinuating that he would trust me more, give me a chance to prove myself and allow me to sing my singing more than one line during a completion...if I committed myself more fully to the Glee Club, so I did what I thought was best...and the rest, I don't know."

"Ah, I rationalized had to be the result of Mr. Schuester's manipulating," Sue steepled her fingers in a fashion eerily similar to Mr. Burns, "Underneath his Pollyanna exterior, the man is a less cunning version of myself, who rolls in the mud like a poll bellied pig to get what he wants."

"What motivates that walking PSA against at-home perms, is winning trophies to validate his otherwise pathetic existence," Kurt smirked, _look whose talking_,"so he uses the _most normal_ of little band of freaks to get the approval of conservative judges, instead of challenging their preconceptions. I highly doubt that I could be wrong here, since I truly have the ability to see into the souls of men, but there is another other option. He needs to play out his youth again, which means people who are different: the boy in the wheelchair, the black girl, the obvious gay boy, and the Asians...gets sidelined into support positions because people like that weren't involved in his teenage show choir ."

Leaning forward, Sue proposed, " How about you come back to Cheerios for the homecoming performance and show the man what he is missing. If I can whip your flabby body into ship, then just maybe I can consider taking you to Nationals."

'Either way its another feather in your cap," Sue added.

"How would you benefit?" Kurt eyeballed her.

"I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it." Sue barred her teeth, and stated, "A keystone of my philosophy is if someone tries to humiliate or dismiss me, look them back in the eyes and humiliate them right back and show them the cat's guts."

"Something you need to adapt," Sue said as she leaned her elbows on her desk.

Kurt was the first to admit Coach Sylvester wasn't exactly...stable. She possessed some admirable qualities like treating all her Cheerios equally and fighting to the death to protect them, which was a nice change of pace in comparison to Mr. Schue's benign neglect.

_Cheerios would really be another feather in my cap._

Kurt looked over at the image captured in the time of his two year younger self. A innocent, naïve shadow that hadn't yet been exposed to almost losing his dad, being bullied to Karfosky, transferring to Dalton and was still free of Blaine's influence. Except for his height and maybe the loss of some baby fat, Kurt couldn't tell if he had changed since then. He still felt like this insecure little nothing who was always fighting and losing every battle.

Here was another chance to prevent failure, and maybe it might demonize himself to the remaining members of Glee Club by aligning with Sue.

But did the people who took Blaine's side and continuously hurt him should have a opinion on his life or his choices?

_No. _

Did Mr. Schue's thoughts on what he did matter?

_Fuck no. _

With some degree of hesitation,. Kurt agreed, " As ;long as you can respect my other commitment, then yes. I'll be a Cheerio again."

It felt like a Faustian deal, but it was the best offer on the table.

"Outstanding. Now get the hell out of my office."

Smoothing out the planes of his shirt, Kurt threw over his shoulder as he moved to leave, " I haven't forgotten about Jean. Maybe it wasn't a apart of my dad's platform, but I know he will support healthcare reform."

"Can it with the Care Bears sentimentality. I have no time with such trivial things," but as Kurt closed the door he noticed the softening of the lines in her face.

* * *

After Porcelain sauntered out of her office, a wide, enigmatic smile crossed Sue's lips. Slamming open her top drawer, she snatched her current journal. Sue licked a finger, as she flipped through the pages until she reached her last entry.

In wild cursive handwriting, nearly engraved into the page with solid, black ink, there was the heading:

**The Plot to End all Plots: The Complete Removal of William Schuester From His Position as a "Educator"From WMHS ( and completely exiled to the bog of Eternal Stench)**

**Step 1: The Strategical Removal of his Overlooked Resources**

_Mercedes Jones has already removed herself from the group due to unfair treatment. Good for her._

_Brittany and Ostrich Eggs have returned to being strictly Cheerios._

_Sweet Porcelain is on my side once again, where he belongs._

Rapidly, Sue added in her trademark script, nearly breaking the nub of her pen:

_Though with more prodding and poking, I believe it is possible to take away more of the Pox's neglected children. However, at the moment I'm satisfied with the current state of affairs. If things do not fall according to plan, I have no problem with instigating a bloody coup at later date._

_A bloody coup would be satisfying especially if it led to...the lost of limbs or heads._

_William's lard coated curls might actually be flattering if his head was on a pike, standing outside my office as a warning sign to not mess with me or my charges. _

_However, I can't afford to give into my temptation. _

_It's time to move forward, with the next step of the plan..._

**Step Two: Gather Evidence (Through Proper Channels, At Least to Start With) of William Scheuster's Unprofessionalism and Tendency to Cross Boundaries with 'Favorite' Students.**

Slurping down a portion of her protein shake, Sue leaned back in her swivel chair.

"Not like it's going to be hard, " Sue guffawed, her voice booming against the walls of her office.

* * *

Kurt only made it a few yards from Coach Sylvester's office, his mind still buzzing with his deal with the Dragon Lady, before a small hand grabbed a hold of his forearm, and stopped him.

Whipping her head around, as if there was someone lurking in the corner spying on them, Becky stood up on her tip-toes, and whispered into his ear, " One of those stupid Warbler guys was sneaking around, asking about where the Glee club met...I though you should know."

Shaking his head, and running one finger against his forehead, Kurt asked" Was he overly lanky, and looked like a criminal chipmunk?"

Becky stepped away, with her head tilted to the right, her brows furrowed in contemplation, and deadpanned. " He looked like a smug pervert."

_Sebastian-Fucking-Smythe...why the hell do you insist on stepping in my life, and making things worse? I know you have already seen Blaine's dick, so there is no reason for you to want to him to take it out again and compare...cocks._

_And I have proven that I can handle Blaine all by myself. I don't need someone fighting my battles for me, not anymore. Especially not by someone who should be renamed "Mayhem," or "Sabotage."_

_No, this shit is going to end. Today. _

"Well, the pervert is going to get it. Thanks, Becky..." Kurt trailed off, as Becky extended her hand out and made the universal sign of "gimme," "I don't have any candy, except for breath-mints..."

"Who says that I want candy? That was good info. I want dinero." Becky demanded .

Kurt fished up a few singles from his messenger bag, and handed them over. Becky counted them," This will do...for now, Hummel." Becky flounced off, her Cheerio's skirt fluttering behind her.

Kurt waved her a goodbye, before setting off on his war path to track the life-sized meerkat down. '

* * *

Sebastian wished he wore a disposable surgical mask to filter out the stench of mediocrity, from the walls, the floors, even from the other students. He lost count of how many times he was forced to roll his eyes at the Cheerios and a few female members of the school elite who batted their eyelashes at him, or resorted to high pitched giggling when he sought the location of the auditorium.

It was a impulsive decision to take a field trip over at McKinley. Maybe skipping Latin and calculus, was an example of a behavior Evangeline wouldn't exactly...approve of, but...Sebastian made sure she wouldn't find out. Since Nick boarded at Dalton, and Jeff's family was rather conservative, they didn't exactly have a place to hook up in privacy. Bribing them with the chance to use his house for the night, in exchange for covering him was feasible plan. Sebastian would just have figure out a way to get his sister out of the house or tell her some sob story. She was all about that romantic shit.

Sebastian wanted to be good, but he had to do this; he had to defend his honor.

Last night, while Evangeline worked on her recently assigned term paper and watched Sebastian from a distance, Sebastian kept an eye on Kurt's most recent posting, mainly the picture of Blaine in his arms. He only did it to see what moronic comments people say, nothing more.

Reading how Lame Blaine would never ever degrade himself by sleeping with such a fucking slut, quickly arrogated his nerves, on top of certain lunatics crying that Kurtsie was still "responsible" in some way for what Blaine choose to do with his own free will.

Sebastian loved sex. Getting his balls-deep in a hot piece of ass ( or occasionally, depending on the guy, getting fucked was another fun option) was his mission statement. He didn't deny it and he wasn't going to apologize for it. Love was a mask covered with chocolates and flowers that people wanted to believe in, but it wasn't real. It only shielded the fact the people only lusted after each other. That's all. Sebastian was just the only one not buying into the delusion created by Hallmark. He was only being honest about enjoying the most amazing thing ever invented and it didn't give other people the right to villainze him. Label him as a villain for his tendency to bribe, manipulate, blackmail, and tell the deceptive tall tall, fine. Getting his rocks off with as many different randoms as possible, didn't make him "bad."

So prudes saying he was "nasty whore out to hurt Blaine," needed to shut the hell up. Blaine wanted to be fucked, several times. If they were going to be slut-shaming they needed to get their facts straight. _Seriously._ Blaine wasn't angel here either, and he deserved to be called out on his shit.

Sebastian was going to be the one to do it, because no one else had the balls, to make little precious Blainy boy squirm like a worm wiggling on a hook

This had nothing to do with Kurt, and all about Blaine and the fucked double standard that applied to him.

_Nothing. Nada. Nope._

Even though Blondie, had shared a few interesting tidbits, during the car ride home, that he could use if Kewpie showed up. Again, not like Sebastian wanted Kurtsie to show up. Sebastian wasn't doing this for him, especially since Kurt had been so...bitchy online,

Sitting in the back row of the auditorium cloaked by the darkness for the spotlights were firmly directed at Anderdouche and min-Barbra. Technically, they were singing. Sebastian wasn't going to say they weren't talented. It was just...bland. The song was about two lovers coming together, and it came off as sterile.

Crooning together, lips stretched too wide, eyes closed in a exaggerated expression of bliss, Blaine and Rachel leaned in with their noses almost touching as they belted in unison:

_Oh, we can learn to love again_

_Oh, we can learn to love again_

_Oh, oh, that we're not broken just bent_

_And we can learn to love again._

A middle aged man, with a prominent chin, leaped out of his seat, "That's what's I'm talking about! This is the passion we need fuel into all of our performances. Every single person here needs to be taking notes."

"How about not," the Asian chick, wearing some weird steam-punk corseted dress, snickered.

_Take notes if you want to look like your fighting over the microphone with your duet partner. _

Pivoting with his hands on his hips, the Nude Erections sponsor, lectured," Tina, that isn't the right attitude, with Sectionals on November 15. We all need to come together, despite..."he coughed in his hand," certain people leaving us."

Tina rolled her eyes, with her eyebrows raised incredulously half-way to her forehead

"Now," the man clapped his hands, rubbing his palms together," who else has a duet prepared?"

No one spoke up. Sebastian seriously heard crickets rub their knees together with more volume.

"Come on, I set up these competitions to challenge you'll to do your best," he scrubbed his face with his hand,"It's a insult to me and what we are trying to accomplish here for you not to try,"

The surly mohawked teen Sebastian recognized from his audition, languidly yawned, stretching his arms over his head," It's Monday. Way too early in the week actually...do things."

Inhaling sharply, the teacher shoot a reproachful glare to the mohawked guy, " Be prepared. I expect everyone to perform their duets," he fanned out his hands to encompass all the students assembled," No exceptions."

He ran his his hands through his curly hair and sighed, turning slightly away from the students' view. The sponsor jammed two fingers together and tapped them against his lips, facing the gathered members of Nude Erections, he overly esthetically raved," And I believe I found the perfect songs. We need to practice right away."

Tina blinked owlishly. The rest of the group lowly groaned in response. Blando stepped away from his huddle with Rachel, and politely clapped his hands together with a taut smile, "Sounds great, Mr. Schue! I personally can't wait to hear your ideas," he shared a conspiratorial glance with Rachel, 'I'm sure Rach and I can whip these lazy bones into shape." He chuckled at his own lame-ass joke. A few members weakly laughed in return.

Sebastian believed these brain dead individuals needed to have their heads examined.

"Alright, then," Mr. Schue sighed in relief," I'll leave it in your capable hands," glancing at Blaine and Rachel, a soft smile playing on his lips. He ambled over to the side door, pressing a palm against the door, he turned-about sharply, with one eyebrow cocked, 'Remember, be prepared," before he left.

_Finally, the idiot left the building._

Sebastian rose out of his chair, and swaggered down the central aisle, slow clapping to announce his presence "Well, well," he sarcastically drawled," I must say your little duet was a life-changing experience." He flicked a imaginary piece of lint from his jacket, " the sincere dead fish expression on Blaine's face will be giving me nightmares for weeks along with his banshee-like wails."

Blaine's eyes flashed a mixture of confusion, and betrayal, his mouth agape. Blaine spluttered," W-hat?"

The unfriendly giant, Kewpie's brother or whatever, spring out of his seat, his face screwed up in rage," shouted," What the hell are you doing here, Smythe?"

"He's spying, of course," Rachel accused, her eyes suspiciously narrowed," not like there is much to see."

"More like seeing the sites, broadening my horizons," Sebastian jeered," and ready to set the record straight." He moved forward, and climbed the side staircase. Careful to make sure, he didn't get Bland's gel on his blazer, Sebastian pressed Blaine to his side, "For I feel people have gotten confused, I understand it can be hard to keep simple things straight when you struggle with tying your shoes, " Sebastian glowered at Lurch," But to keep things to the point. I hate Kewpie's guts, and I don't want anything to do with the gay face."

_Liar, liar, fucking pants on fire, can't get through the telephone wire_, a inner voice called out. Sebastian brushed it off.

He wiggled his eyebrows," I did bone Blaine here," slapping the ex-Warbler hard on the back, making the shorter boy stumble forward.

"Totally called it," the mohawked teen exclaimed, slapping his hand against his knee. Tina and the slender Asian guy next to her held expressions of contempt.

"You're just a cheap, lying-"Sebastian put a finger against Blaine's lips, and darkly murmured,"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I was you."

"If anyone else here plays for my team," Sebastian scanned the area, picking out Kurt's own mini-me in the back, Mohawk, Asian guy, nerd in the wheelchair, and the Hulk, " I feel like I need to warn you. Blaine here isn't down with reciprocation. Not one bit," mournfully shaking his head, Sebastian added," his stamina is," he made the thumbs down gesture.

"Liar!' Blaine wailed, and Rachel stepped in, tugging at his too-tight mustard yellow shirt, "Don't worry, we know he's just here to stir up trouble. Nothing more."

Sebastian clicked his tongue,pulled out his cellphone, " You'll think this guy is such a dapper sweetheart? I have plenty of info that tells a different story."

He read aloud parts of the last texting session with Blaine," …Kurt sucks in bed. He didn't let me fuck him or even touch him...Then again Kurt has always dressed like a giant cock tease..." and to top it off Sebastian added, " I know what you're doing, trying to me to feel jealous, so I let you screw me again after you said all those nasty things to me. Sorry to disappoint but I'm better than some rat-faced whore."

The mini-version of Kurt appeared to be a little green around the gills, and the Ice Queen of a blonde's, sitting next to Mohawk, expression was of one receiving a divine revelation. She tightly gripped her nail file as if was a dagger, she hissed" Not at all gentlemanly behavior.'

Blaine broke free of Rachel's embrace, bolted to Sebastian's side, and smacked his cell so hard it skittered across the floor (and Sebastian was sure he heard the cracking of his screen), and roughly shoved Sebastian to the point he fell on his ass.

"Can't you stop having a temper tantrum" the frosty blonde shot Blaine a cool glare.

_Yeah, Barbie is going into the list of somewhat tolerable people. A major accomplishment._

Sebastian got up on his feet, brushed himself and found his Iphone with a major crack down the center of the screen(thank you Blah), besides Rachel's sensible flat with a large black, bow-tie on top. Shoving his phone into his pocket, Sebastian remarked,"Hobbit acting like a five year old reminds me of the other reason I bothered to come to this dump. As the captain of the Warblers, I'm telling you now that we are done playing nice. We will win our Sectionals...and when it comes to Regionals, you won't be the ones bringing home the trophy or passing go, to compete at Nationals. That's our spot, because we are simply superior and we don't have Mr and Ms. MeMe to foul things up."

Tina and her Asian male friend sniggered at last comment, rolling their eyes at Blaine and Rachel.

"I never fouled our performances up,"Blaine argued back, his hands curled into fists,thumping against his hips.

Cold, mocking laughter spilled from Sebastian's mouth as he shock his head up," Do you have anything to back up that claim, or are you going blame every other warbler for not winning Sectionals last year?"

Sebastian quirked a eyebrow suggestively," Are you going to punch me in the face because Mommy and Daddy forgot to buy you "snippy comeback skills?"

Blaine released one fist to tug on his bright yellow bow-tie, his face contorted in a mixture of shame and rage. His mouth moved to speak, but no sound came out.

'I though so," Sebastian laughed cruelly. Blaine's cheeks burned with humiliated, as he stormed off the stage, not bothering to look at Sebastian or Rachel. The minute he landed near the front row, his little flock came to his aide, cooing comforting sentiments.

'If you're so...all that," Mohawk pointed to Sebastian,"'why don't you show us what you got?"

"I have no problem with giving a demonstration," Sebastian smirked and then walked to the back of the stage where a few of the jazz band members were still scattered.

'Do you think you can handle "Bourbon Street, and get me freaking cane or baton from the shitty prop department around here?"

A Latino boy with glasses and the bird-like blonde with multicolored braces, engaged in a silent conversation with their eyes," What the fuck?" " I'm not getting it." "Yes, you are," until the blonde grimaced and walked away.

'Super" Sebastian drawled as he walked back to main part of the stage,

On center stage, Sebastian stood with his feet shoulder width apart, his back to the audience. Rachel remained standing on the left, her lips jutted out into a prominent pout. He winked at her, and she only gave him disinterested huff in return. Rachel crossed her arms, and generally looked down at him, but her rigid posture gave her away as being threatened by his presence.

_Good. She and the rest of Blainy's lackeys need to learn not to underestimate me or the rest of the Warblers._

The Jazz musicians, accompanied by the middle-aged man with the glasses, started to play. Sebastian rolled his shoulders, and tapped his foot to the brassy beat. He twisted his head over his shoulder, smirking at the small audience assembled, before he started to sing, " _I've been living in sin for about a month. Something turns me round."_

Making a arch with his lead foot, Sebastian rapidly spun himself, his arms outstretched. He brought his arms down to his side, performing a few twists on the traditional steps of the Charleston,"_ it's something that I just can't understand, the way I behave."_

A sly grin crossed his lips, his eyes dark and hooked for a moment, and his voice dipping lower,"_**Some people you can never save."**_

Sebastian swaggered over to Rachel, throwing his arm over her shoulder, rocking his hips against her's, "_On my right hand, I've got a girl on my ear." _She lobbed a slight punch to his side, but it barely registered on Sebastian's radar. The more interesting reaction was the unfriendly giant's expression of disgust and calculation of how to rip his head off. Sebastian stifled the desire to widely cackle at the guy.

With his free hand, Sebastian mimed the gesturing of drinking before throwing the imaginary can over his shoulder," _And in my left hand, I'm throwing back a beer."_

"_What can I say? Of me, you steer clear," _Sebastian removed his arm from around Rachel's shoulders, he grabbed a hold of her hand as if to ask her dance, before harshly whirling around, as faraway as he could. She managed to catch herself before tumbling backwards. With a disgusting snort she finally took it as her cue to leave the stage by the way of the nearest side staircase.

"_When I driving down on Bourbon Street, yeah. Every night we throw this little soir-ee!" _Sebastian scurried down the other side staircase, taking the steps two at a muscle bound punk scowled menacingly at him, and extended his leg as attempt to trip him_. _Sebastian jumped over it, and gave a slight bow, holding his hand out to the frosty blonde_. _She took it, and rose out of her chair. Within the small space between the stage and the front row, Sebastian managed to awkwardly twirl her,_"Gonna turn her head until she's mine, all mine."_

He lightly pushed her aside, scampering to the right side of the stage, and he climbed the other staircase_," Every night I breed a new disaster."_

Making it to the middle of the stage once more, Sebastian cocked his right hand out_," I might be right,"_he did the same with his left_," I might be wrong."_

Sebastian turned his body to the side, kicking one leg at time into the air,_" Try to get away and I will bring you right along, so sit back, have a seat."_

He could feel Blaine's eyes crawly over his legs with interest, and a slight shiver flew down his spine, as he saw Blaine licking his lips. Internally,Sebastian shook his head, and cursed himself for listening to what other people said the ex-warbler, and missing the factoid that Bland was only a selfish, hobbit full of bullshit who creepily got too attached to other people.

Sebastian transitioned to crossing his arms around his chest every time his legs scissored back together:"

_Sometimes salty, sometimes sweet  
Hard to swallow, but fun to eat  
You ain't never leaving Bourbon Street, come on! _

The blonde with the multicolored braces returned, with a unadorned, black cane in tow. She threw it into the air, and Sebastian easily caught it. He stepped into a exaggerated stroll, twirling the cane in his hand," _When I walk the street people step aside. Twirling my cane and smiling wide."_

He pivoted to face the audience,_ " __**Some would say I'm a carnal slave**__."_

Pushing the cane out like a bar, Sebastian belted,_" __**I put my hands on what I crave."**_He mouthed at Blaine, "I don't crave you."

Blaine's cheeks burned a dark red in humiliation, his fingers digging into the flaming orange denim of his pants, and a murderous glint appeared in his deep hazel eyes. Sebastian noted the reaction for further reference but otherwise ignored it and continued to perform"

_**I'm the mayor of this crazy town**  
Where the queens will party with the clown  
Try to swim with me and you're bound to drown."_

He extended his cane out,_" Throw you a line while you're going down."_

Sebastian prowled the edge of the stage, absently spinning the cane between his fingers, and passing it back between his hands, his voice gaining a more husky quality,_"_

_Yeah, I know this street and I **own** this crowd  
And my only companion is a lightning cloud  
I seem real nice and easy to trust  
Ashes to ashes and dust to dust  
I**'m gonna lead you a path to self destruct  
On this crazy train that I conduct **_

There in the center aisle, Sebastian spied Kurtsie silently fuming, and glaring daggers at him.

_The special, unexpected guest has arrived. This is going to be so much fun._

Backing away from the edge, Sebastian kicked his legs in the air,"_ 1, 2, 3, oh!"_

_Every night we through this little soir-ee!_

_Gonna turn her head until **he's mine, all mine**  
Every night I breed a new disaster  
I might be right, I might be wrong  
Try to get away and I will bring you right along, so  
Sit back, have a seat  
Sometimes salty, sometimes sweet  
Hard to swallow, but fun to eat  
You ain't never leaving Bourbon Street, come on! _

No one applauded when he finished, but by their shocked faces, Sebastian knew he managed to impress and make it clear they wouldn't measure up. One goal he could check off as complete. And if Blondie the Space Cadet was right about Kurtsie really wanting do a duet with a guy, well, Sebastian didn't mind helping out.

He might have to goad Kewpie into it, but it would so worth it...not like he wanted to sing with doll-face but it would piss Anderfuck off.

And maybe give him points in Princess's book for good behavior. He had watched the 'Candles duet, so it would be easy to blow Blaine's performance out of the water, and you-show, prove he was better.

Better suited for Kurt.

* * *

Sebastian slinked over like a cat tracking its prey in the grass. Arrogance cascaded from every pore to the point Kurt believed that he could bottle its essence and sell it (there had to be market for it, or maybe he could label it extreme self-confidence).

Kurt preferred to find a way to prevent Sebastian from producing the substance and stop looking like he could take over the world, by stamping on the little people like Godzilla.

_With no one daring to oppose Sebastian, the meerkat continues to get away with being jackass._

_Except for me, I guess. _

Leaning against the nearest chair, Sebastian loomed over him, and again Kurt internally cursed the few inch height difference forcing him to slightly crane his neck to stare-down his nemesis refusing to back the hell off.

"What nefarious scheme of yours requires the use of a meerkat mating call? Were you trying to make everyone's eyes fall out and make their ears bleed?" Kurt snapped, his eyes blazing, and his hand resting on the top of the nearest chair, tightly holding to the headrest portion.

"Meerkats don't use mating calls. They prefer ritualized grooming," Sebastian cockily smirked.

"Of course you would know that."

'When it comes to making people's ears bleed and lose their eyeball in regards to their singing and dancing, I'm sorry but that ability belongs to your ex-boyfriend," Sebastian dismissively waved at Blaine.

Blaine flinched. His face devolved into exaggerated meltdown mode, with a wide mouth, teary eyes, and trembling lips. He whispered into Finn's ear, and without hesitation, Finn escorted Blaine out.

_What I would give to have the power to make Blaine react like that to one of my insults. Though he's probably overacting for sympathy, and judging on Rachel and Artie's expressions of horror...it's working._

"I'm here on a completely innocuous mission here today," Tina injected with a loud, "False." Sebastian rolled his eyes, continued on with his hand crawling forward to touch Kurt's hand, " just giving a free exhibition of what real talent is. Believe me, I was just trying to give a public service announcement."

Feeling the touch of slender fingers, curling around his wrist, Kurt smacked them away. Sebastian chuckled, " A little, spacy bird told me that there was a duet completion today, and I thought I should volunteer to be your duet partner. Isn't that quite swell of me?"

Looking skyward, hoping that he could be zapped with a extra load of patience, Kurt massaged his temple, "Sing with you? I would believe in a mohawked koala ruling the universe with the help of his companion Mr. Spoon and his ability to summon rocks by humming first before doing that."

Sebastian stared at Kurt, before bursting out laughing, " Of all the things to come up with,..." shaking his head, Sebastian added," your daily dose of hairspray must of fried your brain.

"My brain isn't fried," Kurt vehemently protested. 'I would be more concerned about the goop that you use to make your hair so CWish."

"What up with you and your agenda against the CW? Are you jealous of the hot, rich, and interesting male characters?"

"Hrmf," Rachel coughed into her hand, drawing the attention of both Kurt and Sebastian, " Not saying that I haven't enjoyed listening to you bicker, but as a member of our competition, you should be running along, Smythe, And Kurt is no longer a part of the glee club so he isn't allowed to participate in our completion."

Quinn spun around in her seat, her chin touching her shoulder. Kurt felt her eyes critically scrutinizing him then Sebastian, before stating in a bored tone, "I don't see what the issue is. It's not like Kurt got a chance to sing a duet with a boy last year."

"He sung a duet with me...afterwords," Rachel shot back.

"You know that's not that's the same thing, Rachel," Quinn snorted.

Rachel looking slightly taken aback, rubbing her arm, stated," Fine, but it doesn't count in regards to the competition even though Kurt hasn't bothered to apologize for his behavior towards me, and Blaine."

Kurt raised a single eyebrow.

"Excuse me? Did I say that I wanted to sing with Smythe? The only reason I'm here is because I wanted to make sure he wasn't hatching some fiendish plot, " Kurt coolly glanced over at Sebastian, "but since he is only being a show-off, I can just leave."

"Scared?" Sebastian questioned.

"Of you? Don't make me laugh," Kurt barked

"That's not what I'm referring to,Kewpie," Sebastian tutted," I mean being scared of a real challenge. If you have only duet with Blainy or Barbra, clearly you lack much," he snapped his fingers in the air, " exposure to talent, and someone ought push you to be better instead of pushing you to the side."

He continued to goad in the form of a whisper, " I've seen you act, now show me what your voice can do, and see if those feet can move."

Artie glared, " Whatever. I'm outta here. Unlike you fools, I'm gong to try to be there for Blaine, like a good friend," as he wheeled himself out of the room, Mike had to restrain Tina from attacking him.

Tapping his finger against his lips, Kurt said airy, but with a hint of defiance in his voice, " But I'm choosing the damn song."

"As you wish, Princess."

Leaning with his back against the piano, Kurt knew this was the right song choice.

_There is simply no way he will go along with this...or know the actual lyrics. He going to look like a idiot or throw a fit. Either way I win. _

Sebastian stood on the middle of the stage, the cocky grin on full display (Kurt honestly wanted to rip up and stamp to death with his current pair of Doc Martians).

"Have you finished primping, or are we going to stand around for another half hour?" Sebastian prodded, his tone slick with snark, " I mean, I would hate to have my blazer embedded with the smell of this..." he gestured to the surrounding area, " fine institution of learning, or miss my lunch."

Kurt politely smiled, and replied with a slight hint of saccharine sweetness," I don't know about you but I was born ready, and always capable of performing."

Speaking to Brad, Kurt tapped the piano " Let's hit it."

At the outpouring of notes from underneath Brad's hands and back up from the remaining band members, Kurt sang out, in a breathy voice, " _Power and control," _before dipping down into his lower register.

Slowly shimmying, Kurt moved away from the piano, as he strutted to Sebastian's side,"

"_Give a little, get a lot  
that's just how you are with love  
give a little, get a lot_

Kurt stepped into Sebastian's personal space,and flicked the end of his nose, "_yeah, you __**may**_ _be good looking but you're __**not**__ a piece of art."_

_One Mississippi , two Mississippi , three Mississippi...he's going to balk..._

A pair of hands landed on his shoulders, and Kurt found himself pushed into following the steps of an awkward, strangely aggressive waltz. Kurt miscalculated.

Sebastian volleyed back as he further encroached on the small space between their bodies:"

_Power and control  
I'm gonna make you fall  
Power and control  
I'm gonna make you fall_

Breaking away from the taller Warbler's hold, Kurt darted away in the opposite direction. Sebastian pursued him. However, he maintained some distance as he copied Kurt's expressive arm movements, as they both sung in unison:"

_women and men we are the same  
but love for love must be a game  
we give and take a little more  
eternal game of tug and war_

Circling back with a sneer, and accusatory finger directed at Sebastian, Kurt angrily spat out, overly emphasizing every word:"

_**think you're funny think you're smart  
think you're gonna break my heart  
think you're funny think you're smart  
yeah, you may be good looking  
but you're not a piece of art."**_

Sebastian smirked. With a few fluid steps, Sebastian crept up behind Kurt, and tried to manipulate Kurt's arms likes a puppet, as he took over the song

_Power and control  
I'm gonna make you fall  
Power and control  
I'm gonna make you fall."_

Kurt pivoted to face Sebastian and pushed him away, before they slowly stalked each other once again in a large semi-circle, and returning to singing in union:"

_Women and men we are the same  
but love for love must be a game  
a human inability  
doesn't mean that I am weak_

Until Sebastian was unable to reach the higher notes the song demanded, leaving Kurt in the spotlight. As Kurt continued to sing, "_that I am weak, I am weak, I am weak, I am weak,_"he noticed Sebastian mouth, " You are the weak one," accompanied by a challenging lift of his chin.

_Fuck it._

Stalking over to Sebastian, Kurt pulled on the labels of the tacky poly blend blazer that was the twin of the blazer he burned to cinders once he left Dalton. Taking over Sebastian's normal lines, _"Power and control, I'm gonna make you fall, power and control...I'm going to make you fall_," Kurt let his hands roam over Sebastian's torso as payback for the times in the last week, the meerkat touched him.

Of course, Sebastian appeared to enjoy it, the corners of his eyes crinkling, and his lips quirked in a tiny smirk.

_The little rodent faced bastard. _

Staring at the crooked and loose Dalton's standard tie Sebastian wore around his neck, Kurt's grinned mischievously. He roughly tugged on it, forcing Sebastian closer. With the Warbler, Kurt sang in a deeper, low voice, "_women and men, we are the same. But love for love must be a a gam_e...'

Kurt ripped the tie off, crying out, " _we give and take a little more," _smoothly gliding away from Sebastian, with a smug expression on his face.

"_Eternal game of tug and war_," Sebastian snatched the fluttering end of the tie, before Kurt could drop it, and whipped Kurt back. He dared to wink at Kurt,

_This is truly war._

With a cheeky wink of his own, Kurt slammed his foot down on top of Sebastian's ugly, overpriced dress loafers, and letting the end of the tie. Whirling himself around, Kurt completed a series of box steps, as he danced away from Sebastian's grabby fingers.

Together, Kurt and Sebastian continued to sing:"

_Power and control  
I'm gonna make you fall  
Power and control  
I'm gonna make you fall  
I'm gonna make you fall_

At the last word "fall," Kurt spun to face Sebastian once again, twisting his hips to the beat, his eyes narrowed, and his stare heated. Though there no real facial similarity between him and the other teen, Kurt felt like he was looking into a mirrored reflection of his own expression: determination, a hint of pride, what Kurt had to assume was hatred, challenge, and a touch of something that his eyes didn't want to explore further...the best word for it was guarded or maybe vulnerability .

_Since Sebastian gets everything he touches why does he have to protect or hide away? And Smythe can't have any insecurities, fears, weaknesses, or signs of humanity. He isn't like me. He can't be.  
_

As Kurt locked eyes with Sebastian, it felt like metal clashing against metal, with sparks flying, and folds in the metal shearing off. Kurt believed for a second or two he could reach out and touch something between them, but he quickly abandoned that thought. Finishing up the last verse, Kurt and Sebastian slowly circled around each other, making small steps as they progressed around in the form of a merry go-round:"

_we give and take a little more  
cause all my life vie been controlled  
you can't have peace without a war  
without a war  
without a war_

Once the background music died behind them, Puck explored into a outrageous round of wolf-whistles.. Quinn and Tina were politely clapping=, but the looks of dismay and unease painted on their visages produced a different picture. The rest of the audience was simply...shell shocked.

Sebastian ate it up, giving exaggerated bows, and blowing a kiss at Quinn. Kurt tugged on his sleeve, " You had your fun, Can you get on the road back to the hell dimension you spawned from?"

Sebastian contemplated it for a moment, the tip of his tongue poking out from the corner of his mouth, and cupped his chin in a manner that was meant to be a mimicry of the Atlas statue but came off as insincere, "No."

He wrapped a shoulder around Kurt's shoulder, pulling him in tighter, removing any personal space between them, " You and me are fucking awesome together," His normal smarmy smirk stretched out into something Kurt recognized instantly as lecherous.

Scrambling out of Sebastian's grip, Kurt smoothed the wrinkles out from his chestnut colored military style shirt. He tossing his head back, and laughed bitterly, " Sorry, I don't associate with a future Gordon Gecko."

Kurt's lips flattened out in a thin, line, and he bit the inside of his cheek, because the words he had to say were a reminder of his failure, of not being enough for the boy he though was his true love. No matter what scumbag Blaine truly was, it still didn't take away the hollow feeling in his chest, " And you seduced my ex-boyfriend, completely aware of our relationship. I can never forgive that or learn to stomach your vile personality."

Thumbing his nose at Sebastian, Kurt traipsed off the stage, not aware of how Sebastian blanched at his words.

* * *

Bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, Brittany happily squealed," See? I told you Kurty and Seb have chemistry.'

Santana was too preoccupied looking at her girlfriend's legs to respond, along with the way that her skirt flitted about, and teased at what was underneath.

"Tana!" Brittany snapped

A guilty expression settled onto Santana's face, her eyebrows scrunched up, as she contemplated what they were talking about," Yeah. I guess I would give their duet a 7.5 on the wanky scale, which is better then anything Hummel, ever did with Colonel Mustard."

"They are undergoing the process of ionic-ally bonding..." Brittany tossed her pony tail back, "isn't that sweet?"

Linking her fingers with Brittany, Santana steered the blonde down the deserted hallway: she sighed. She preferred to be honest with Brittany, but being blunt wasn't always the best approach to deal with Brittany's...sensibilities.

But it was the only way Santana knew to communicate, " Not really," Santana softly rubbed Brittany's hand," because a bastard is a bastard. They can't change."

"Honestly, if Sebastard tried to steal your unicorn's electrons, I would cut him down," Santana licked her lips, as she struggled with the next word as if it was some unpronounceable abomination like LTHFANFKNQUPDIS, " _Kurt_...already had a bastard. He doesn't need another."

"If only there was a decent selection of hot, interested guys...I mean, I would suggest Dave...but..."

Brittany interrupted," I don't think Seb is that bad," she added brightly as they turned the corner and headed in the direction of their lockers, "he likes cats."

"When did you start calling him, Seb?"

Brittany ignored that comment as she pressed on, " Water is capable of turning into a solid or a gas, and people are made of 60% water, 30% magic, and 10% love so anyone is capable of changing."

Tilting her head to the side, Brittany gently whispered, " Like you're starting to," before pressing a sweet kiss to Santana's cheek, and skipping off to her own locker down the hall.

Santana rubbed at the invisible mark left by Brittany's lips, her heart warmed with the small display of affection. Opening up her own locker and grabbing the books she needed for AP Calculus AB, Santana couldn't help but shake her head at sight of her reflection in the mirror attached to the inside of her locker.

_That's the difference between us (and why I love you so much) I'm a realist and you're a dreamer. In the really world, people are horrible, selfish, messed up pieces of shit, and I'm just trying to survive their bigoted stupidness. I'll do anything to protect me, you, and the few people that don't suck, but I don't have the energy to try to improve myself._

"Hey, Lopez," a pimpled covered, gawky boy wearing a letter-man's jacket drowning his thin frame, sidled up besides her locker, his scrawny chest puffed up like a strutting peacock, " How about you go out with me, and I fix your little lesbo problem?"

"That is so sweet of you," Santana cooed, " but even if I wanted cock you wouldn't even make it on the list of guys I'd fuck. Get over yourself."

She slammed her locker door on his fingers.

With her head up high, Santana sauntered to her next class, not bothering to look back.

"BITCH!" the loser howled.

Santana's lips curled into a heated smirk,"And proud of it."

_A bitch is a bitch, no matter what. I can't change. I might be "out" but I can't afford to show who I'm or how other people hurt me, because hell is empty and all the devils are here in Lima, OH_

* * *

"That was….informative," Quinn said briskly, her attention again focused on filing her nails.

Puck huffed, his eyes hooded, and the corners of his mouth turned downwards " So are you telling me, you believe the shit," Puck jerked his head in the direction of the door Blaine and Finn stormed out of, "miniature Sith Lord is spewing."

Raising an eyebrow, Quinn pursed her lips together, flicking a hand out and inspecting her work. She said with a hiss of exasperation , "Noah, that wasn't what I saying. I was commenting on the performance, not the little situation between Kurt and Blaine…"

'I wouldn't say it was "little" problem," Puck slouched back down in his seat, rubbing his falling apart converse sneakers against the worn fibers of the auditorium's carpet.

Quinn glanced away, not able to met Puck's gaze, as she struggled not to pick her cuticles, she commented in a hushed voice," It's just another nail in the coffin of what your first love is supposed to be like. Finn and I….." Quinn paused, leaning forward, and letting a few chunks of her blonde blob shield her face, "had some good times. Really good times….but we both screwed it up. When it comes to Kurt, its like there is this big, "he said, then he said," war. Though it's becoming clearer to me who the villain is here, and it's **not** Kurt."

Flipping her hair back, and throwing her nail file in her bag, Quinn muttered, "Right now, I have enough…..crap on my plate to deal with before diving into another person's personal problems.."

Puck recognized Quinn was in some serious pain. The whole "Skanks," thing might have confused everyone else, but he saw it for what it was-a cry for attention-because on the inside Quinn felt like she was filled with razors, with little blades tearing her insides into ribbons, and going to die a worthless, shitty wreck.

Basically, Quinn hated herself.

Unfortunately Puck was well-versed in self-hated and depression

And the accompanying feeling of how you would do anything, no matter how petty, stupid, and fucked up so someone would reach out to and prevent you from setting yourself on fire. It was the reasoning for a lot of the shit he pulled over the years.

When Shelby came back into town, Quinn thinking that she needed to have Beth in order to be whole, to feel loved, after running into her father over the summer, didn't make her bad. Having a family, a real family, where people actually gave flying fuck about you and what did with your life, was rare and precious. She had just gone about it the wrong way, and Puck admitted he did the same by sleeping with Shelby ( though there is nothing wrong about two extremely hot people getting it on). And pretending for a second that he could be "dad."

He was always going to be a part of Beth's life, and there was connection between him and Quinn, but they weren't supposed together, and he wasn't quite ready to be a father yet.

He had spent the last weekend talking with Quinn(well, Puck spent the time listening. He was getting better at it and on the way to getting a degree in understanding female problems) and he managed to coax Quinn into asking her mom for help, because despite their differences, the woman did care and they were discussing about setting up appointments with either Ms. Pillsbury or some other professional.

What Puck realized after the weekend was over, was he really didn't have anyone to really talk to about his...shit..

There was Santana (and he was pissed about Finn did, because that wasn't at all kosher….and Quinn was wrapped up in her own bubble, which she needed to be in right now….but Puck wasn't happy with her either)

Her "advice" could be a little…..extreme and land him in prison. He really didn't want to end up there . Trying out for the Shakespeare play was one of her better ideas. Her reasoning was that she wanted to do something that Rachel couldn't muck up, while for Puck, knowing Shakespeare could help him pick up chicks, and maybe if he understood it, it would help him pass English.

But over the summer, when everyone else was too busy and when Puck wasn't working, it was Kurt he ended up spending most of his time with, and was the one who bothered to help pass his summer school classes. If Puck at all had a shot at graduating, it was due to Kurt.

And hanging out with him was sort of cool. The dude wore weird clothes, but Puck found that disappeared once he learned to appreciate the fact the Kurt had good qualities like his quirky sense of humor, mad mechanical skills, could cook food that wasn't blackened on the outside and raw on the inside like his mom, and was up for movie marathon that included anything to do with Bruce Campbell or Sam Raimi, and didn't mind listening to him rambling on stuff whether it was about his theories on Star Wars or worries about his sister and the boys that were starting to show interest now that she was n seventh grade.

So when Quinn asked, "I thought Blaine was one of your bros?"

Puck didn't hesitate to correct that false assumption, "Kurt was my boy first." _Blaine's also a rich, prick who looks down at people that aren't just like him._

"Hmm," Quinn murmured, a shy smile slide into place," It seems like someone else wants to make Kurt, his boy," smoothly gliding up from her seat, she gestured to the tall, smirking Garbler still standing on stage as if it was his property and they were just the help he didn't want to be bothered with.

Kurt trotted over to the row behind Puck, fetching his almost always present message bag, Quinn leaned over, putting her hands on the nearest seat, "You seemed to really enjoy yourself up there"

As if Kurt's spine was a wire, getting zapped with a current, Kurt stood on edge. His relaxed, giddy posture was gone: his shoulders hunched, his hand tightly clutching the strap of his bag, and tension filled every nook and cranky of his face.

"What are you trying to imply?" Kurt said icily, his "bitch face," on full blast.

"Nothing," Quinn commented casually, with a slight shrug,"It's just been a long time since I have seen you so alive when performing. Or allowed to sing more then a few lines," as she moved pass Kurt, she gave him lingering pat on the shoulder. Quinn called out as she headed towards the exit doors, " It was quite...lovely."

"I didn't think it was lovely," Rachel announced bluntly, " The whole performance was completely trashy-Finn and I could have pulled it off with our rendition of course..." there was a pregnant pause, as Rachel observed she was under the scrutinizing gaze of Tina and Mike, "I'm glad that Blaine didn't have to see it..." She huffed, shaking her head at Kurt, disappointment sharp in her features as she pressed her sheet music and books to her chest before plodding out, with Rory falling behind her.

Rachel was always going to his Jewish American Princess, but sometimes Puck saw why other people didn't bother to care about her or outright dismissed her. Rachel had her good sides; it just took a lot of dumpster diving to get to the treasure that lied underneath.

"Whatever," Mike actually rolled his eyes, loping one arm around Tina's waist, his fingers playing with the string of the weird corset Tina was wearing, (which was damn sexy), " Call me later, Kurt, for the down low about our art assignment. Tina whispered something into Mike's ear, his eyes bulged nearly out of his skull and the pair hurriedly scampered off...

_Asian Fusion is definitely getting busy._

Puck and Kurt were now alone. Kurt gave him a sweet, wide smile, that has always hid his tiny, teeth. Kurt gestured Puck over, " Noah, that we have free time, do you want to put your study hat on, and cruise through some geography?"

Puck stood up, running his hand through his Mohawk," Dunno," he shoved his hands in his jean pockets, "Yeah, I guess."

"Oh, how sweet," a honed voice called out, reminding Puck that they weren't exactly alone.

The head Gargler, stomped over, his hands jammed into the pockets of his lame ass uniform pants, his face twisted into a scowl. The whole thing reminded Puck of when Sara was going through her "terrible twos" and someone was playing with her favorite toy.

Sure, Puck had ran into the high class dick before at the audition, and listened to Santana ranting about how he was such a player. He had nothing against another player, even one that was into cocks and asses (not exactly a part of his completion). It was cool.

But seeing the Sebastian dude, ogling Kurt like he was pig roasting over a roaring fire, made Puck feel...uneasy at best.

_Kurt is...a babe, or to use a term from Sara's favorite movie that she forced me to watch over and over, a "Betty."_

_I've been always surprised that someone other then Greasy hadn't taken a interest in him, I mean even Puckzilla gets kinda excited when Kurt gyrates his hips or licks his lips too long..._

_Kurt and Gargler were kinda of hot dancing together._

_Whatever. Moving on._

_Taller version of Fancy Bullshit, may have ripped Blaine a new one, but that doesn't mean he got a free pass with Puckarous_

Cracking his knuckles, loudly, Puck threatened Sebastian's personal space with a extreme head jerk, Sebastian only snickerd in his face, "You're trying to tutor this..._Australopithecus robustus, _Kewpie?"

_What did he call me?_

Kurt piped up, his always changing eyes flashed a moist green along with a bold "don't fuck with me sign", as he stepped forward between Puck and Sebastian, "His name is Noah, and he is more evolved then you will ever be."

_The other reason that Kurt gets classified as a bro is because he always has your back, no matter what._

With a softened expression, Puck threw a arm over Kurt's shoulder, tugging the shorter brunette closer so his back was nestled against Puck's chest. It was meant to be comforting gesture of solidarity, and for once Kurt did push him away like some skittish cat, but it provoked a interesting reaction in the Gargler.

Sebastian's eyes madly darted between Kurt and Puck, back and forth from Puck's built arm to Kurt's face, like a never-ending game of Pong or video on a constant replay. A prominent crease formed between Sebastian's eyebrows, along with a severe frown, and Puck imagined fire erupting from the dude's ears.

Internally, Puck cackled.

_Fuck. He's totally fucking jealous...Shit, does Kurt have any idea?_

Looking down at Kurt, Puck noticed the curved sneer of his lip, and the angrily jutting hip...

_I'm going to say that's a "no" but the dude doesn't s deserve a scrap of Kurt's time anyway because he is jackass_

Sebastian casually glanced over Puck as if he was glob of dog shit on his shoe, " Wow. That's a seriously flawed hypothesis, I mean like Noah here is the poster child for living in a trailer park and food stamps..."

"My name is Noah, but you're only allowed to call me Puck," he snapped, and purred, "Only _special _people can all me, Noah. You know like _Kurt _here."

"_Fine_," Sebastian clucked the roof of his mouth, and boldly drawled " by either name, you're still a _**pathetic, Lima Lose**__r._"

Puck let go of Kurt and lunged forward, but Kurt impeded him. He tangled their fingers together and tugged Puck away, " C'mon, you know that's not true. His opinion is completely invalid, because he knows nothing about you. If I had define someone as a loser," Kurt pointed a finger in the Warber's direction" it would be him."

Calming down slightly, Noah grinned, "Ya, I'm mean at least my ma didn't name after a crab in a Disney film .'

Kurt giggled, and let go of Puck's hand.

_He really didn't have to do that. I don't mind holding his hand...friends do that. _

Kurt shoot Sebastian one last threatening glare,, before strolling out of the theater with Puck by his side,

Puck heard the Warbler shout, "Is that the best that you can do,Kurtsie?" but it really didn't matter.

Shaking his head, Puck sighed.

_Teasing Kurt, and being a jackass isn't going to get you into his skinny jeans. Even if you clean up your act, Kurt is still my boy, so you have to fucking go through me first. And that's not going to happen. Ever._

_Because Kurt already had a preppie, he needs someone different and cooler. _

_And way more badass. _

* * *

Shannon Bieste softly smiled at her cell phone. Cooter had sent her several text messages since lunch. She has never felt so..._sought_ after in her life. It was the sort of attention that she had watched her younger sister, Denise, receive the moment she started high school. The idea of being wanted by a man had never seemed possible when she had always remained sitting, completely alone, in a ill fitting pink dress, drinking watered down fruit punch, observing all her friends getting asked to dance at Homecoming, Winter Ball, Spring Fling, and Prom in a never ending loop of torment.

There was a moment when Shannon was so sure that she was going to lose Cooter to a "pretty girl." Thankfully for reasons unknown, Sue had dropped her interest in the football recruiter. Shannon was willing to fight for Cooter, but she wasn't a birdbrained fool. She knew when it came down to it, she had no chance against a woman like Sue.

After sending a quick message, that she would be done in an hour, and inviting Cooter over to her house for steaks, Shannon focused on counting the ballots for the student election.

It didn't take long for her to spot a significant problem.

There were _too many damn _ballots.

She still counted them all, just to to confirm her mounting suspicions. There was a large pile of voting slips in favor of Brittany S. Pierce, which was expected. Rick managed to score a few votes as well, but it was the towering pile of votes in favor of Kurt E. Hummel, equaling more than the current student body, that raised a red flag.

" I guess the little pony grew seven other legs," Shannon mumbled to herself, "Huh. I never thought Hummel was a cheating type..."

Sighing, Shannon jotted the results down on pink sticky-note pad, "Figgins isn't going to be happy about this." After tidying up the ballots and a few odds and ends of her office, Shannon put on her old, faded bomber jacket before heading out.

She flipped open her phone to see three missed calls from Cooter. Her heart jumped in her chest and started a giddy jig at the sudden miracle of having a boyfriend, who cared and missed her.

However, when she listened to the voice mail Cooter left on her phone, "_Where the hell are you? I've been waiting over twenty minutes for you...did you find__** something**__ better to do?_" her cheerful thoughts turned to mush, like when someone steps on an over ripe banana

His tone was accusatory, and harsh. Shannon also didn't miss the slight insinuation that she was involved with someone else behind Cooter's back ( which made no sense since who would want her?)

And it went against the grain of what she knew about the man so far.

She paused. Her gut told her that the "Panther," didn't accept this sort of treatment in a relationship. Trotting over to her car, fumbling with her keys, Shannon contemplated the various ways she could tell Cooter how she didn't like being talked to like_ that_ and there was no reason for him to get upset over nothing.

The scenarios all ended with Cooter leaving her, and dooming her to being single again. The promise of what she always wanted, love and family, would be ripped away from her hands. She would be left all alone.

Sitting down in her car, waiting for the heater to start up, Shannon gazed at her new background image of Cooter kissing her cheek. The warm, fuzzy feelings returned and surrounded her heart with a cushy, bubble wrap.

_I can't afford to lose this. I can't lose him. He just had a bad day, that's all. Everyone has bad days. I'm not exactly a saint either, and I bet there are dozens of things Cooter wants to change about me. _

Shannon deleted the message and put it far from her mind.

* * *

**A/N: **Unlike Rachel who admitted that she wanted to sleep with Finn in order to give her acting more depth (ugh), Blaine never explained his behavior to Kurt. He only apologized to Rachel, for not losing his virginity, and never to Kurt. He only excused his behavior away with the line, " I was drunk" which is not valid, because he still committed sexual assault.

There is no canon explanation for Kurt quitting Cheerios, and I tried to come up with a logical reason here. All that matters now is Cheerios!Kurt is back in action.

And Sebastian being afraid of rodents, especially cute, little chipmunks, makes my day...I hope it does for anyone reading this.

When it comes to Quinn, I admit that I struggle writing her character, even though I actually like her. There was a line in S1, when her mom came to support her, about how her father cheated with a "tattooed freak." It has always been my head canon that Quinn might have run into her father during the summer before her senior year and it triggers her breakdown/along with not wanting to live up to people's expectations/ her own insecurities. Her behavior towards Santana will be explored, and I'm not trying to bash her here, she (plus Mercedes who is a little MIA at the moment) has her own role to play.

Finn is going to grow up and become a better brother at some point but its going to be a gradual process.

Puck and Kurt are friends in this, but Puck is sort of starting to explore his sexuality.

**Songs:**

"**How Come You Don't Want Me Now?"** -_Tegan and Sara_ (again, I love this song but I feel like I violated it. Sorry)

"**Guilty,"** Marina and the Diamonds.

"**Just Give Me A Reason,"**-_P!nk_

"**Bourbon Street"**- _Jeff Tuohy_. I see this as Sebastian's anthem, and because I wish Glee explored other genres of music/less known artists, I ended up using it here.

"**Power and Control,"**-_Marina and the Diamonds_...yeah...I always thought that was Kurtbastian duet material, and connects to some of the themes in this story and _The Tempest. _

**Quotes/References**

Kubla Khan: Evangeline named her dwarf rabbit after the poem, titled,_ Kubla Khan,_ which was written by Samuel Coleridge, after he experienced an opium influenced dream.

"I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it," Niccolo Machiavelli

"To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity," Friedrich Nietzsche

"Hell is empty, and all the devils are here," Ariel, _The Tempest_

**Chapter Nine:** What is Your Childhood Trauma? ( one of my favorite quotes from Cordelia Chase, BTVS): Kurt gets called in for cheating, Rachel POV, the first rehearsalof _ The Tempest_, Evangeline purposely and unintentionally embarrasses Sebastian, Sebastian contemplates how he can get rid of Chandler/Puck/Santana without resorting to homicide, Jesse St. James causes a lot of problems,. In addition, more of Sebastian's past is revealed. The director, and his wife are more fully introduced.

And I admit, certain canon events may be covered, for example Sam coming back, Dave will be having his own little arch, etc, but we are dipping into more AU land, and the focus is on the characters involved in the play.

**Reviews are lovely as always. **


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